What The Fuck is wrong with Facebook?
It started three days ago with an email:
You uploaded a profile picture that violates our Terms of Use, and this picture has been removed. Among other things, photos containing nudity, drug use, or other obscene content are not allowed, nor are photos that attack an individual or group. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in your account being disabled.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page at http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=33.
So, the Facebook profile image I’ve been using for years now has suddenly become obscene. Does it contain nudity, drug use, or other obscene content? Is it an attack on an individual or group? Well, you can decide for yourself:
I read over Facebook’s terms and couldn’t find anything that the image violates, but Facebook is clearly private property. So, I emailed them to ask how I was violating their terms. This is the response I got:
Hi Chris,
A photo that you uploaded has been removed for violating
Facebook’s Terms of Use. Photos containing nudity, drug use,
or other obscene content are not allowed, nor are photos that
depict violence or that attack an individual or group.
Unfortunately, for technical reasons, we are unable to provide
further information about the removed photo.In order to prevent this from happening in the future, please
refrain from posting photos of this kind and remove any that
still exist on the site. For more information on conduct
prohibited by Facebook, please read our Terms of Use, which
can be accessed by clicking on the “terms” link at the bottom of
any Facebook page.Thanks for your understanding,
Avery
And my response:
Avery,
I read the terms in their entirety. My profile contained no nudity,
drug use, or other obscene content is not allowed, nor did it depict
violence or that attack an individual or group. It was deleted
anyway. How can I know whether or not my current profile is
acceptable if my old one didn’t violate the terms but was deleted
anyway?Thanks in advance,
Chris
And theirs:
Hi Chris,
A Facebook administrator looks into each report thoroughly in
order to decide the appropriate course of action. If no violation
of our Terms of Use has occurred, then no warning will be sent.
If a violation has occurred, then a warning or more severe
actions are taken. Unfortunately, for technical and security
reasons, we are unable to provide details regarding the removed
content. We apologize for any inconvenience but we will not be
able to provide you any further information regarding the
removed photo. Please review our Terms of Use for further
information.Thanks for your understanding,
Avery
Customer Support Representative
Okay, so there’s no way to know why I can’t use the image, but for whatever reason I can’t.
So, my Facebook profile now lacks an image, but I’m still getting warnings! At least it’s a new one this time:
Please Read This!
Warning! Your account could be disabled.Your behavior indicates that you may be in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in your account being disabled. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page here.
What the fuck, Facebook? What gives? What could I possibly be doing to violate your god forsaken terms?
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Wednesday, October 31st 2007 at 8:21 pm
Given your distrust of government and organizations with too much power, it boggles my mind that you continue to use facebook. It’s been documented that the former TIA provided funding to facebook, and the knowledge about people that facebook is able to collect is outright frightening.
Friday, November 2nd 2007 at 3:12 am
Death to Facebook!
Saturday, November 3rd 2007 at 12:17 pm
geoff,
What exactly could the government gain from Facebook data that they could not gain by parsing phone records, birth certificates, drivers licence records, and email?
Sunday, November 4th 2007 at 3:56 pm
Phone and e-mail are not always the primary communication methods between people. This new generation use IM and other mediums with a higher frequency. By having people self-report relationships, they alleviate a ton of work that the government would have to by monitoring every other medium of communication. Yes, the government has access to a lot of that information, but facebook makes getting the relevant information much easier.
Tuesday, November 6th 2007 at 7:02 pm
That last message, was it an email you received, or a message on Facebook’s internal messaging system? It sounds fake, honestly; whereas the first one sounds official.
Friday, November 9th 2007 at 3:16 pm
[…] Speaking of Chris Brunner, it looks like Facebook doesn’t like the photo he’s been using for some time. Because the photo is fairly risque, I’ll picture it below the fold. […]
Wednesday, December 5th 2007 at 6:56 am
I got the same message because I was searching too quickly and for too many people!! I maybe searched twenty people over the course of one evening, then I go to my Friends list and I received a notice that my account had been temporarily disabled due to misuse!! They could not tell me why, or how long the block was for, and when I logged in 24hrs later the account was ok but I received the same warning again straight away….Facebook sucks!
Saturday, December 8th 2007 at 12:30 am
Seems to me that the folks at Facebook regard images of guns as violence which is not an uncommon opinion now.
Thursday, December 13th 2007 at 9:43 pm
Hell, they just outright disabled my profile warning or nothing and said I was spamming when I inquired as to what happened. Everyone on my friends list is there because I invited them in order to keep in touch whilst I am overseas. I didnt spam nor do I have a desire to. I ask them to prove to me where and how I spammed and they still have not bothered to get back to me.
What a bunch of selfish, clueless, fascist motherfuckers! Pardon the language, but I am royally pissed at them,
Friday, January 4th 2008 at 5:57 pm
dont you all realize that the more you feed the beast the more its appetite grows.
FUCK FACEBOOK
have a lovely day
Tuesday, January 8th 2008 at 11:38 pm
screw this crap…none of my pictures have been in any way offensive…
Tuesday, February 19th 2008 at 6:51 pm
Please Read This!
Warning! Your account could be disabled.
Your behavior indicates that you may be in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in your account being disabled. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page here.
I recieved this warning also after a ban for 24 hrs a week before as they regarded sending 9 messages in the space of 19 hrs & about 10 wall posts ’spamming’.
Complained to them & recieved the same reply of ‘we cant discuss our spam policys for security reasons’. SO HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IM DOING REPETITIVELY TO PISS OFF YOUR SPAMMING SYSTEM!!?? STOP SENDING ME YOUR AUTOMATED RESPONSES TO FUCKBOOK!!
Im laying off it for a few days to let everything settle down….:-)
Tuesday, February 19th 2008 at 8:15 pm
Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies are all in cahoots with the Bush regime… keep away from them.
Hold on to that weapon, your gona need it when the revolution comes.
Thursday, March 20th 2008 at 8:58 pm
i just got that stupid message, i have no idea what photo of my 5000 it was, but if the photo above you was deleted then i got lots to worry about, I have lots of film and tv type photos on there wt lots of specail effects and make up, how is that agesnts the terms the frecking chode mongreals
Sunday, September 28th 2008 at 9:18 pm
“Does it contain nudity, drug use, or other obscene content?”
guns are obscene but fuck word cant hurt any one and sex is the furthest from obscene
I hate facebook! I think you should be able to post whatever you want big fucking guns that shoot cocks balls and cunts
I just think its sad that words, sex and nudity are being considered obscene