The recent live-streaming of the suicides of two teenage girls and an attack on a disabled teen on Facebook have created thorny issues regarding social media ethics, reports the Wall Street Journal.
"We need to have a conversation about what the role is" of technologies like this, Mary Anne Franks, a professor at the University of Miami law school, told the WSJ. "How much are products like Facebook Live encouraging people to commit these acts?"
At least 57 violent or sensitive acts have been live-broadcast on Facebook, reports the WSJ, including the highly publicized police shooting of a black man in Minnesota last July.
Facebook Inc. and other companies like Twitter and Instagram, which also offer live stream option, don't have much wiggle room legally when it comes to responsibility. Facebook does interrupt streams if they violate community standards.
"We've given people a way to report violations during a live broadcast," Facebook spokeswoman Christine Chen told the Mirror. "We also suggest people contact law enforcement or emergency services themselves if they become aware of something where the authorities can help."
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