Family of slain reporter takes action against Facebook over violent video
The family of a slain journalist has filed a lawsuit at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Facebook over the social media company’s failure to remove the online footage of their daughter’s shooting death.
Alison Parker, a TV news reporter, and her cameraman, Adam Ward, were shot dead in August 2015 by a former co-worker while reporting for Roanoke, Virginia’s WDBJ-TV.
The family of Alison Parker claimed in their lawsuit that the footage of the shooting, taken by the gunman himself, has been repeatedly resurfaced on Facebook and Instagram and the company’s top executives have done nothing to remove it despite their promises.
“The reality is that Facebook and Instagram put the onus on victims and their families to do the policing of graphic content — requiring them to relive their worst moments over and over to curb the proliferation of these videos,” said the complaint.
Meanwhile, Andy Parker, the father of Alison Parker, noted during a news conference that they believe the social media mogul has been engaging in deceptive trade practices by violating its own terms of service and misrepresenting the safety of the platform.
“Alison’s murder, shared on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, is just one of the egregious practices that are undermining the fabric of our society,” Parker said.
The complaint comes a week after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed to lawmakers at a congressional subcommittee hearing how the social media giant has pushed for higher profits while being cavalier about the users’ safety.
The former Facebook product manager testified in Congress against the firm in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's subcommittee for consumer protection, product safety and data security, warning lawmakers that the American social media platform operated without proper oversight.
She also urged Congress to hold the tech giant accountable for the harm it inflicted on children and its refusal to properly police its content.
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