Barrow man's call to stop distasteful Facebook sites
Last updated at 14:53, Sunday, 19 August 2012
A MAN is campaigning for Facebook to toughen up its rules around distasteful groups.
David Watson, 28, of Grantley Road, has complained to Facebook to try to shut down a group that mocks cancer sufferers.
However, Facebook says the page does not break its rules.
Mr Watson, a contractor, was on Facebook when a group called “cancer is funny cos they die” appeared on his wall.
“I popped up on my Facebook one night.
“I don’t know how, someone must have liked it – I certainly didn’t,” said Mr Watson.
“I’ve lost three members of my family to cancer, including my mum who passed away two years ago, which is why I got upset.”
Mr Watson and his friends then reported the group to Facebook.
But so far nothing has been done about the problem.
A Facebook petition page has been set up to get the group shut down.
Mr Watson has also sent a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron to try and raise awareness of the issue.
He said: “This isn’t just an American issue, it’s happening in Britain as well.
“The Prime Minister should be able to do something, we voted for him, so he should sort out the problem.”
Mr Watson said the best outcome he could hope for is that Facebook should have the power to close these groups down.
However, in response to a complaint about the page from another member of the public, Facebook said it was “not able to confirm the specific page violates Facebook’s statement of rights and responsibilities”.
The Rosemere Cancer Foundation, which is based in the Royal Preston Hospital, said such Facebook groups were distressing for cancer sufferers.
Sue Thompson, chief officer of the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “As a local charity dedicated to helping the NHS provide the very best treatment possible throughout the South Lakes and Lancashire, The Rosemere Cancer Foundation would welcome any move to stop the additional distress to cancer patients and their families that sites like this inevitably cause.”
First published at 13:10, Sunday, 19 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
I am a regular user of facebook as i keep intouch with family all around the world and this is not the first sick page to be put on Facebook. A friend of mine in Ireland started a petion to remove sick dead baby jokes removed, so if sickos can start these pages it must say what the people running Facebook are like.
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I wouldn't give Facebook or Twitter the time of day. I've just read today that trolls have targeted the parents of 4yr old Dylan Cecil who was swept out to sea in Somerset. The trolls have set up a Facebook account pretending to be the missing boy. Very sad and distasteful. A sad reflection of society today.
Posted by Jimmy Foodlaw on 21 August 2012 at 12:49