Facebook the Supervisory Board to help shape its doxing policy. The board of directors has agreed to influence the rules of social networks concerning the “sharing of private residential information”. The case marks the first time Facebook has asked the board for help in setting a policy without a specific post attached.
In a statement, Facebook said it asked for help because it considers the policy “important and difficult.”
Currently, Facebook’s rules prohibit users from sharing “personally identifiable information about yourself or others,” including photos of people’s homes. It might sound simple enough – Facebook, like other platforms, wants to prevent users from being doxed or targeted for harassment – but the company says it needs help defining what information is considered ” accessible to the public ”.
“Facebook asks for advice on what should make private information ‘publicly available’, meaning it could be posted on Facebook,” the Supervisory Board Explain. “The company has asked the board for advice on sources that are” not readily available or trustworthy, “and whether and why it should exclude all sources to determine whether the information has become public.”
In other words: Facebook wants smart advice on how and why it should make exceptions to the rules. A policy that prohibits all personal information of any kind could potentially embarrass activists or journalists, for example. While rules that are too broad could make some people more vulnerable to harassment.
The Supervisory Board is currently asking on these issues, and will make a decision after being heard by the public. Public comments on the case are open until July 9. As with other matters taken up by the board, Facebook is not obligated to implement its recommendations, although it must provide a detailed response.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through any of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
