Cannot control all posts: Facebook

Syrian refugee Anas Modamani recently sued Facebook to have it delete all fake news stories using his image.

New York, Feb 8: Though Facebook controls what you see in your News Feed, its lawyer claims not everything can be controlled -- like policing all racist posts -- media reports said.

According to a report in Engadget on Wednesday, while defending against a German lawsuit over misuse of photos in fake news, Facebook's attorney said it wasn't possible for Facebook to watch for racist language in every post arguing that there were billions of posts every day, which would require a "wonder machine" to catch every possible instance of abuse.

Syrian refugee Anas Modamani recently sued Facebook to have it delete all fake news stories using his image. Modamani had taken a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel which was used by fake news stories, falsely connecting him to terror attacks.

But plaintiff Modamani refutes the arguement by citing an example of Volkswagen, claiming: "It couldn't make every car safe, just because there is a large volume of content doesn't mean you're off the hook."

Modamani was quoted as saying that Facebook was quick enough to detect nudity. "Why can't Facebook tackle racism and misused photos with similar enthusiasm?" he asked.

"Facebook is so far opposed to paying out damages in the case, but it's open to a court-offered proposal that would settle the case by blocking use of the photo in question across Europe," the report noted.

IANS