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Last year, Facebook’s policies on ‘banning’ images hit the headlines after the network censored a picture of a naked Vietnamese child running through a field.

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The image in question, The Terror of War, was famous – and won photographer Nick Ut the Pulitzer Prize – but Facebook deleted it, even when it was reposted by the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg.

Facebook suggested that, to some, the image might seem like ‘child pornography’.

But reporters at Germany’s SZ-Magazin gained access to Facebook’s internal documents – showing some of the (often strange) rules which Facebook uses to decide if posts should be deleted.




It’s worth noting that this isn’t a complete list – and that Facebook’s rules change constantly – but it’s offered an insight into a process which has become highly controversial around the world.

Hate speech – but only against certain groups

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Facebook takes action against what it considers ‘hate speech’ – but it’s a fairly narrow definition, according to SZ-Magazin’s sources.

Facebook will instantly delete verbal attacks against certain ‘protected categories, including Sex, Religious affiliation, National origin, Gender identity, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual orientation And Disability or serious illness.

Attacking people for their origins

There are also sub-categories, such as age, employment status, social status (ie rich or poor), appearance (this includes weight) and political affiliation and religion.

Facebook will allow people to (for instance) condemn a religion, but won’t allow them to condemn members of it.

Posts are more likely to be banned if they combine sub-categories – such as saying, ‘Irish women are stupid’.

The report says that – for instance – saying ‘F*cking Muslims’ is not allowed, but saying ‘f*cking migrants’ is.

Rating people on their looks

Asking people to compare others based on their appearance is not allowed – for instance in posts where people are asked to rate women at the beach and comment.

Pictures of self-harm (including tattoos)

Facebook does not permit images of self-harm – which can, according to its rules, include tattoos and ‘extreme piercings’.

The images are more likely to be tolerated if they are posted without captions – but will be deleted if the captions suggest users try it themselves.

Pictures of people vomiting

Facebook bans’sharing humiliating pictures of people menstruating, urinating, vomiting, or defecating’.

Interestingly, this doesn’t apply if someone is famous – so it’s perfectly OK to post an image, for instance, of Harry Styles having a massive poo.

The rules say, ‘pictures that show public figures urinating, defecating, vomiting, or menstruating should be ignored.’