Facing the haters at Facebook
Should Facebook deny Holocaust deniers on its site? Where should the lines be drawn? These are questions with no easy answers.
Follow @ifw_cringelyIt turns out when you run the world's biggest social network, you inherit the world's biggest social problems. And so it goes with Facebook, which is now under fire for its implicit support of groups that deny the Holocaust ever happened. (And what a lovely group of people they are.)
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Brian Cuban, brother of high-tech entrepreneur/sports franchise owner/twinkle-toed Mark Cuban, is trying to shame Facebook into taking them down. And he's got some high-powered pals like Michael Arrington in his camp. As Captain Crunch unsubtly notes, Facebook has already banned photos of lactating moms:
Pictures of breast feeding babies are indecent, so they’re a no go.... But Holocaust denial is totally cool because it fosters open discussion.... why is Facebook so willing to take a stand when it comes to hungry babies, but won’t do a damn thing when it comes to the Holocaust. Because they’re cowards.
First, I'd like to go on record as being unequivocally pro-breast, lactating or otherwise. As for the other question, it's not quite so black and white. Facebook now has the option of stepping out of the frying pan and into a white hot fire or a bubbling caldron of grease. Either way, it won't be pretty.
If it caves and bans the Holocaust deniers, it's suppressing the free exchange of ideas, even if they are stupid or hateful. If it stays the course, it aligns itself with the flat earthers and those who believe Adolf Hitler was simply a misunderstood house painter with a bad haircut.
Holocaust deniers aren't impacted very much either way. Banning them from Facebook will do nothing. They will always find new rocks to crawl under.
