Facebook Bans Mother Over Photos of Disabled Son

Facebook Bans Mother Over Photos of Disabled Son

newsok.com

Facebook banned a mother from using her social media profile after photos of her mentally-disabled son were flagged as "inappropriate" and a violation of Facebook's terms of use.
"Never upload any photos that contain hate speech, support for violent organizations or threats to harm others," Facebook told North Carolina woman Diana Cornwell after she posted images of her son, who has Down's Syndrome, participating in a Special Olympics event.

(visit the link for the full news article)

ETA: Found another source that the original source I posted pulled their info from. Second source

This is outrageous in the most serious sense of the word. How exactly are photos of her child at a Special Olympics event even close to "hate speech, support of violent organizations or a threat to harm others"?

I would understand if it were some photo about supporting terrorists or something along those lines, but photos of her Downs Syndrome son? Really Facebook, really???

It just completely baffles me that these photos would be marked as such a thing and this woman banned from Facebook for 3 days because of it.

Facebook has gone WAY too far with this and I honestly hope this woman sues or something.

Thoughts?

newsok.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Believer101


Hmmm, I wonder why the article didn't include the offending pictures? I would have to see a picture before I could say if it was offensive or violent or whatnot. I kinda doubt a special olympic picture would be violent or offensive though.....

She has no right to sue though, this is a privately owned site, and she signed the TOS.

i think face book just violated its own rules. if this gets out, organizations like people first would be furious. this is just like saying "we're facebook, and we're banning you because your black, or a dwarf." there is no difference here. its new age racism.

Just how many ridiculous things does Facebook have to do before people grow up and quit using it.

Come on already people.

I know I had a person from China hack my account, so annoying. lol

But still that's just messed up.

I agree though, before we can come to any conclusion we would need to see the offending pictures.

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by Believer101

 

Hmmm, I wonder why the article didn't include the offending pictures? I would have to see a picture before I could say if it was offensive or violent or whatnot. I kinda doubt a special olympic picture would be violent or offensive though.....

She has no right to sue though, this is a privately owned site, and she signed the TOS.

edit on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:34:04 -0500 by TKDRL because: (no reason given)

I'm not sure, but I think that maybe the mother, Diana, didn't want them on the site? I first heard about this through an email I received from Care2's petition site, and they had an image of the child up there. (let me tell you he was a-freaking-dorable!)

And about the suing, I realize that now. Just frustrates me, you know? It was the only thing I could think of at the time of reading the article and writing the post.

This is insane on a hilarious level.

I would think this is just a mistake on behalf of Facebook. Maybe someone who doesn't like this woman flagged the photo. I really doubt Facebook cares about this picture. It was probably some jealous or hateful user who had the image flagged and removed. Sounds like an oversight on Facebook's part. Sensationalist story and I am certainly no fan of Facebook.

reply to post by Believer101


Oh yeah, I understand it lol. I despise facebook, I go on it maybe every other day, it's how I keep in touch with my family still in the US. A lot of their policies and such annoy the hell out of me.

Originally posted by Rekrul
i think face book just violated its own rules. if this gets out, organizations like people first would be furious. this is just like saying "we're facebook, and we're banning you because your black, or a dwarf." there is no difference here. its new age racism.

I definitely understand where you're coming from, though it's more discrimination than new-age racism.

Originally posted by Ameilia
Just how many ridiculous things does Facebook have to do before people grow up and quit using it.

Come on already people.

True enough, but I still have my Facebook account. It's a great marketing tool for my business and it's the only way I can keep tabs on my fathers-side of the family as they don't know how to contact me through phone. (they're oblivious to the fact that I exist, but alas, nothing I can do, really)

Facbook is a joke, the only thing people do on there anymore is repost memes from other sites and friends. They barely use it to express themselves in an original way. The only thing I use it for is posting interesting news articles I think people should look into. I've actually started to use it just to say inflamitory things about politics, facebook, and the like just to get a rise out of anyone willing spying on my pages.


I hope it dies soon.

Originally posted by KillThePoor
I would think this is just a mistake on behalf of Facebook. Maybe someone who doesn't like this woman flagged the photo. I really doubt Facebook cares about this picture. It was probably some jealous or hateful user who had the image flagged and removed. Sounds like an oversight on Facebook's part. Sensationalist story and I am certainly no fan of Facebook.

I would understand if it were one photo for this to happen, but it was all the photos she uploaded; a total of 40 pictures (source is the care2 petition I can't cite). They told her to remove them ALL, not just one. One would think Facebook would take a look at the "suspicious photos" before doing such an act.

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by Believer101

 

Oh yeah, I understand it lol. I despise facebook, I go on it maybe every other day, it's how I keep in touch with my family still in the US. A lot of their policies and such annoy the hell out of me.

I'm with you there. I maybe go on once to see what's up with family and such. And it's the only way I can keep tabs on my fathers-side of the family as well so I feel you there too. And same with me. I had an image removed for "nudity" and it was a picture of my neighbors cat. Was extremely confused on that one.

Originally posted by KillThePoor
I would think this is just a mistake on behalf of Facebook. Maybe someone who doesn't like this woman flagged the photo. I really doubt Facebook cares about this picture. It was probably some jealous or hateful user who had the image flagged and removed. Sounds like an oversight on Facebook's part. Sensationalist story and I am certainly no fan of Facebook.

I sure hope you're right. I did post it on my FB page - that went ok. But the thumbnail I posted for this pic got a fake thumbnail displayed instead. IDK maybe the news-site did something inside the image file to cause that?

Apparently this is the boy.


Also, I want to say that often such disabled individuals have trouble talking without using slang/curse words. Extra tolerance of that IS appropriate, especially for the disabled. Otherwise they become "shunned" even worse than they already experience.

Facebook -private or not- should not be allowed to impose a ban of membership based on its perceived " RETARDED STIGMA" of person with physical/mental disabilities.

in doing so its reinforcing a taboo against the disabled look (ie, down syndrome, retarded, etc)

Originally posted by reitze

Originally posted by KillThePoor
I would think this is just a mistake on behalf of Facebook. Maybe someone who doesn't like this woman flagged the photo. I really doubt Facebook cares about this picture. It was probably some jealous or hateful user who had the image flagged and removed. Sounds like an oversight on Facebook's part. Sensationalist story and I am certainly no fan of Facebook.

I sure hope you're right. I did post it on my FB page - that went ok. But the thumbnail I posted for this pic got a fake thumbnail displayed instead. IDK maybe the news-site did something inside the image file to cause that?

Apparently this is the boy.


Also, I want to say that often such disabled individuals have trouble talking without using slang/curse words. Extra tolerance of that IS appropriate, especially for the disabled. Otherwise they become "shunned" even worse than they already experience.

Yes, that's the son who's photos were taken off. And, according to the Care2 petition (again that I can't cite because of T&C) his Downs Syndrome is so bad that he can't talk. But yes, you are right about that. I would understand if they took down a video of him, if he were able to speak, that had obscene language in it, but a photo?

My cousin is a downs kid, he has his own facebook page(his older sister helps him maintain it). No one reported his pictures or page, this is a strange indeed.

reply to post by reitze


lol. I posted it to mine too as soon as I read this.

Well, I'm off to bed. Have a busy day at work tomorrow. Keep the comments coming and I'll get back and reply as soon as possible!

reply to post by reitze


Wow, you have got to be kidding me. Nothing is wrong with that picture. Cute kid. Facebook is a bunch of idiots.