Facebook moves vs sexual content sharing

MANILA, Philippines - Social media giant Facebook has taken down several groups used by Filipino internet users to share sexual content, including child pornography.

In recent days, concerned individuals and organizations have complained against Facebook groups being used to share pornographic content following a report that unmasked these secret groups online.

“As outlined in our community standards, nudity and sexual exploitation are not allowed. We take swift action to remove this content when we’re made aware of it,” Facebook said in a statement.

“We have removed groups which violate our policies and have taken steps to detect similar groups. We also remove all instances of non-consensual intimate content when we become aware of it, and use image-matching technology to prevent re-sharing of the image on our platforms,” it added.

According to Facebook, users can use the reporting links on every piece of content on the site and that they will take action on content that violates their standards.

“We have spent over a decade innovating to keep people safe, continuously introducing new features and tools to help people have a positive experience on the site,” the company said.

Facebook also said it has collaborated with global cyber-safety experts to help build a safe community by immediately taking down inappropriate content.

“If someone tries to share the image after it’s been reported and removed, we will alert them that it violates our policies and that we have stopped their attempt to share it. We also partner with safety organizations to offer resources and support to the victims of this behavior,” it added.These secret Facebook fanpages are collectively called “Pastor Hokage” groups for having similar names such as “Pastor Hokage Bible Study” and “Bible Study of Pastor Hokage.”