This is a good thing for users of Facebook. If you wanted to see videos of beheadings, there are probably plenty of sites you could find them. Most people would never want to see a beheading, and inadvertently seeing one (from any age over 13) would likely not only turn them off Facebook but also cause severe trauma.
This embarrassing saga for Facebook has proven one key point: Facebook are not too big to be swayed by public outrage. What was an inappropriate policy was changed post-public outcry. The mix of worried advertisers and the threat users might leave, isn't all that proved too much for Facebook.
In an interview with the BBC, one of Facebook’s own safety advisers expressed concerns about the new policy begging the question 'with whom did Facebook consult before allowing videos of decapitations?'. Within hours Facebook was finally forced to backtrack.
The Prime Minister originally strongly condemned Facebooks’s decision to allow videos of decapitations via Twitter saying:
It's irresponsible of Facebook to post beheading videos, especially without a warning. They must explain their actions to worried parents.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) October 22, 2013
After the news that Facebook would block videos of beheadings broke, David Cameron Tweeted:
I'm pleased Facebook has changed its approach on beheading videos. The test is now to ensure their policy is robust in protecting children.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) October 23, 2013
Despite how embarrassing this has been for Facebook, changing their policy now was a good move. Now allowing videos of decapitations in the first place would have been the ideal, however they have come out of this saga looking a little foolish. This being said, they have came out of this without any real damage being done to Facebook.
