Australia hits out at Facebook over 'racist' page

World Aug. 09, 2012 - 01:27PM JST ( 19 )

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19 Comments

1

VespertoAug. 09, 2012 - 01:49PM JST

We’ve had a lot of debate and discussion with Facebook. They’ve now finally employed an employee here in Australia. We’re in conversations with that employee

Poor guy, has to handle an entire country...

It's interesting how american RIAA can get governments all over the world to cooperate on music-sharing piracy 'cos it's "stealing", but no one seems to cooperate on defamation.
0

ultradorkAug. 09, 2012 - 01:51PM JST

While I don't agree with blatant racism, censorship also should not be tolerated. So all websites hosted in Oz are 100% free of any racist jokes and images that would be offensive to any ethnic or other minority group? No off-color parodies? Thinking about it though, FB is somewhat of a special case. Now that Farcebook is publicly traded they should be held to higher standard than some website hosting company.
-1

jomonjeulmunAug. 09, 2012 - 05:23PM JST

The Australian government would be better off creating programs that prevent Aboriginal people from getting hooked on alcohol and drugs in the first place. Going after websites in other countries that ridicule Aboriginals is just a waste of time and money. In the United States shutting down such as website would be a violation of the First Amendment.
2

WakarimasenAug. 09, 2012 - 06:01PM JST

Australian ovt. should do more for the Aboriginals in concrete terms - this is just a cheap way of seeming concerned.
-1

Thomas AndersonAug. 09, 2012 - 06:23PM JST

While I don't agree with blatant racism, censorship also should not be tolerated.

It's not censorship, it's just taking down slanderous/libelous sites.

In the United States shutting down such as website would be a violation of the First Amendment.

Probably not. Slander/libel/hate speech etc. does not fall under free speech.
0

jomonjeulmunAug. 09, 2012 - 07:44PM JST

Probably not. Slander/libel/hate speech etc. does not fall under free speech.

In the United States, hate speech is in fact a protected class of speech. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Even in cases where speech encourages illegal violence, instances of incitement qualify as criminal only if the threat of violence is imminent. This strict standard prevents prosecution of many cases of incitement, including prosecution of those advocating violent opposition to the government and those exhorting violence against racial, ethnic, or gender minorities.

If the ISP wants to terminate a website they deem to be racist, they have every right to do so. ISPs often include a clause in their terms of service against racist or hate filled websites. They can shut the website down not because its against the law to spout hate, but because its a breach of the terms of the contract. That is why the Australian Communications Minister contacted Facebook directly rather than attempt to have the website shut down through diplomatic channels. A website mocking drunk Aboriginals would be considered tame compared to some of the hardcore racist websites operating out of the United States. As long as they don't threaten imminent violence they are protected under the First Amendment.
-4

DentShopAug. 09, 2012 - 08:15PM JST

The Australian government would be better off creating programs that prevent Aboriginal people from getting hooked on alcohol and drugs in the first place.

Or better still - Aboriginals would be better off not getting hooked on alcohol and drugs.
1

VirtuosoAug. 09, 2012 - 08:43PM JST

Let's face it -- the whole internet is one big cesspool brimming with the baser human instincts, and efforts to regulate it are like trying to play whack-a-mole. I suppose a few years down the road someone will find a way to send malware that scrooches the CPUs of the computers used by the worst offenders, while will at least have the effect of hitting them in the pocketbook and if the rest of us are lucky keep them off line for a few days or so.
-5

DenonAug. 09, 2012 - 10:02PM JST

FB should have told him to get stuffed. The opinion is stupid but I see no reason to stop a man letting the world know who stupid he is. This action just makes the Aussie government look fascist.

Now if he suggested its high time for every to go out and murder an Aboriginal, then I would have a problem. Otherwise, people are entitled to their opinion no matter how stupid they are. Besides, shutting them down and shutting them up only encourages them to perform an action much more malignant than posting garbage on the internet. It also fuels their conspiracy theories.
0

AliasisAug. 09, 2012 - 10:12PM JST

I don't like it, but I don't see how this Facebook page is illegal. Unless it's Facebook's policy to disallow racist content (which I don't think it is, or everyone who made a racist FB status would be banned, right?) the page doesn't break any rules. I'm not comfortable with censorship - rather than free speech policy changing, it's racist people who should be changing, I think. Telling people they aren't allowed to post this stuff on FB won't make them any less racist (probably more, they'll just start resenting those people)
0

lucabrasiAug. 09, 2012 - 10:18PM JST

a page that stereotyped Aboriginal people as hopeless petrol-sniffing drunks.

Replace "Aboriginal" with "Australian", remove "petrol-sniffing" and, hey, problem solved!

(My Aussie mate laughed, so it's not racist ;)
-2

Thomas AndersonAug. 09, 2012 - 10:22PM JST

In the United States, hate speech is in fact a protected class of speech. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Then it may be taken down for defamation. This is the definition of defamation:

Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander (for transitory statements), and libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words)—is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, religion, or nation a negative or inferior image.

But this is Australia we're talking about, not US. I think Australia can ask Facebook to take down some pages, though obviously it's up to Facebook to comply with that.

I'm not comfortable with censorship - rather than free speech policy changing, it's racist people who should be changing, I think.

That sounds good and all, but look how that went for Japan, for example.
-2

Thomas AndersonAug. 09, 2012 - 10:27PM JST

False statements of fact are an exception from protection of free speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. In United States law, a false statement of fact will not be exempt from some civil or criminal penalty, if a law has imposed one.

I think this falls under defamation.
-2

Elbuda MexicanoAug. 09, 2012 - 10:53PM JST

Ah yes, Facebook and idiot racists?? Nothing new, incredibly enough the stupid US government says it is ok to put out hateful, racist rants, free speech etc..I wanna see the KKK, NEO Nazis etc..try that shit out on the streets of any major USA city, and see how fast they they will be shot down, not just with words.
0

gelendestrasseAug. 10, 2012 - 01:22AM JST

It's true that people can rant and rave about just about anything in the USA. But if their rants cause violence they can be arrested and tried on charges of incitement. If they go out and act on their rant they can be brought up on hate crime charges. It's not as irresponsible as you might think.
-3

Elbuda MexicanoAug. 10, 2012 - 04:36AM JST

So how much free speech do we need?? I think the Australian authorities are doing the right thing. Just go to any KKK, etc...homepage from the USA, really really crazy, and that crap is legal??
0

YuriOtaniAug. 10, 2012 - 05:52AM JST

Well Elbuda Australia can not enforce their laws on another country. My only thought is who determines if something is racists? Do know the Aussies will be under "clean feed" sooner or latter. If they are so upset, why don't they block Facebook? Why not block all that is offensive to anyone?
-1

FarmboyAug. 10, 2012 - 06:50AM JST

The page is down. Another is up.

http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-removes-page-targeting-australian-aborigines-2012-08
-1

illsayitAug. 10, 2012 - 07:33AM JST

The page is down, the news didnt even get a smell-in on the ABC, and fascist is my new favourite word. I should try and find a page something like those eco based ones that go on about population control, Dick Smith and his crowd-don't they realize that it is defamation of a group of people :P

Personally I agree with the US laws about it all. Australian government is fascist. Australia needs to wake up to that they can have an opinion but that doesnt mean they are the only opinion or the right one. But while ever Australian government tries to take a global stance they will always be dictating whatever their moral right is. Funny isnt it; some people perceive the US that way, when in reality it is places like Australia that are actually one-sided.

While there are many Aboriginals who are what could be called 'decent', it is pretty common knowledge that there are places where the Aboriginal communities are out of control. As mentioned earlier, it is just a cover-up for seeming like the government are helping the Aboriginals when all they do is ignore their plight. But help the refugees from another country, seem global, and the news is on every page, the issue is constantly debated in parliament, and elections can be swung and won over foreigners.