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The Spectacle Blog
Per Fox News, and their tip to Facebook, the largest social networking site blocked a new jihadist group that was using Facebook to spread their message. The group had grown to 120 members after a week and “had been exhorting its members to wage ‘Jihad to aid the religion of Allah and his Prophet.’”
And they say terrorism isn’t alive and well.
But this makes me wonder: What about free speech? Why did Facebook deem this group radical? What are their boundaries? I agree, obviously, that they are. But Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. One of these days, one of these folks is going to get upset and raise a stink about their lack of freedom of speech.
What if I start a radical group againsn’t radical Islam? (Maybe there is one, I don’t know.) Would that be shut down because it’s ‘hate speech’?
Don’t get me wrong, I applaud Facebook. Not only was it a solid decision, but as importantly, they are a private company and can shut down any group they want, including “When I was your age Pluto was a Planet.” But I wonder how they came to this kind of decision and if anyone will give them some flack for it.
View all comments (18) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Nicole Russell
http://spectator.org/blog/2008/12/19/facebook-shuts-em-down
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Laurel Kornfeld | 12.19.08 @ 7:20PM
I agree with the decision to shut down the jihad group, but I would definitely give Facebook flack if they shut down the Pluto group, which has over a million members, most of whom advocate the reinstatement of Pluto's planet status. Shutting this group down would be giving in to IAU tyranny. The IAU knows people around the world are not happy with its ridiculous demotion of Pluto (done by only four percent of its members, most of whom are not planetary scientists). If they have to restort to such drastic measures as getting this group deleted, that's just one more sign of how bad their planet definition is--which is why they will likely leave this group alone. :)
Charlie| 12.19.08 @ 9:31PM
Wait...I thought W won the war on terror.
wrfhjvrwef| 12.20.08 @ 12:15AM
do not jihadist groups also have the right to spread their message?
shutting down those whose views you find disagreeable is tyranny, not free speech
stephusch| 12.20.08 @ 11:32AM
Yeah, like keeping the ROTC out of Columbia U - tyranny.
WendyG| 12.20.08 @ 3:39PM
NO - jihadist groups DO NOT have the right to free speech. Not if Facebook says they don't.
Plus Facebook is a place they could access personal information about other members and do God knows what with it.
I applaud Facebook!!
dcdenizen| 12.20.08 @ 5:52PM
Well, Nicole, I will give you some flak (abbreviation meaning anti-aircraft fire, often used as a short way of saying "hostile response") for using the word "flack" (meaning a public relations or press spokesperson) when you meant flak.
You too Laurel..
wkj45| 12.21.08 @ 9:51AM
@wendy: DISAGREE- jihadist groups DO have the right to free speech ( if you believe in the bill of rights)
however it is true that facebook as a non-state entity is under no obligation to provide it
WendyG| 12.21.08 @ 11:54AM
I have a friend on Facebook who told me yesterday that in the last few weeks she has gotten many invites on Facebook from people named Abdullah and Mohammed and the like. 20 or so of these invites. Wisely, she ignored them.
Dave| 12.21.08 @ 7:11PM
Freedom of Speech DOES NOT include advocating Violence of any kind.
Facebook was correct in their action.
Just as they would be justified if someone advocated the assassination of any Public Official.
Peter Cohen | 12.22.08 @ 10:05AM
Facebook hardly takes the action needed. This was just one group and they responded because it was Fox News reporting it. The Jewish Internet Defense Force (JIDF) has been on this front for years now. They have had approx. 150 groups removed either with Facebook's help or on their own. They have a list of hundreds of groups in which Facebook has NOT taken the needed action. Many of these groups are promoting terrorism or are antisemitic in nature. Check out some of their posts about it:
* Facebook's Fan Page for Al-Sayed Hassan Nasr-Allah (Hezb Allah) with 3,460 Supporters
* JIDF Guide to Facebook Groups
* Regarding material on Facebook
* Mujahideen Groups on Facebook
* Hezbollah: Swapping MP3's on Facebook
* Small Sampling of This Week's Terrorist Activity on Facebook
* JIDF Pride (Regarding the Hezbollah Group with Over 118K members)
* Thousands Use Facebook to Celebrate Terrorist Attack Today
* Facebook Endorses Hamas?
* A Terrorist Group Planning and Calling for the Bombing of Egyptian Border (on Facebook!)
* Oboler: The Rise and Fall of a Facebook Hate Group
* JIDF Letter to Facebook Regarding Illegal Content
* Zuckerberg: No need for Facebook to be proactive on antisemitism
--all found in the "related posts" area of an article about the latest news, found here:
http://www.thejidf.org/2008/12/its-about-time-fox-news-finally-covers.html
erguher| 12.22.08 @ 5:39PM
advocating violence should not be a crime. freedom of speech includes calls to arms
just because i encourage you to stab your mother, blow up the white house, or resist the infidel invaders doesnt mean you have to do it
whatever happened to personal responsibility?
and wendy refusing friend requests because the people asking have arabic names is awfully close to racism
biniki| 8.28.09 @ 10:55PM
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spogee| 7.19.11 @ 7:05PM
Yeah, like keeping the ROTC out of Columbia U - tyranny. See this collection of funny Facebook Status .