Facebook Poll Asking Whether Obama Should Be Killed Draws Fire

by Amar Toor on September 29, 2009 at 09:45 AM

Facebook is no stranger to the debate over freedom of speech. As the networking site grows, and as its increasing number of users make their opinhions known, the site has had to draw its own boundaries between acceptable self-expression and open hostility. The most recent controversy, though, has worried even the Secret Service.

Using a third party application that allows users to create and post public polls, a Facebook member asked members "Should Obama Be Killed?" The question was incendiary enough to warrant the attention of the Secret Service, which has confirmed its concern over the survey.

"We are aware of it and will take the appropriate investigative steps," Darrin Blackford of the Secret Service told the Associated Press. "We take these things very seriously."

Facebook, for its part, removed the poll upon learning about it, but not before at least 730 people answered it, responding with either "yes," "maybe," "if he cuts my healthcare," or "no." Facebook Director of Policy Communications Barry Schnitt confirmed that the poll will remain suspended until the developer who created the application "institutes better procedures to monitor their user-generated content." Both Schnitt and Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan confirmed that Facebook and the Secret Service are working together to further investigate the case.

Regardless of your spot on the political spectrum, any discourse that intimates violence against any individual, let alone against the President, has no place on a public forum -- especially one so popular and influential as Facebook. The larger question is not whether or not Facebook should act in situations like these, but whether or not it can. User-controlled applications continue to grow exponentially -- apparently more quickly than the monitoring systems meant to govern them. Facebook certainly needs to take a more active role in policing the site, and, in so doing, stay a step ahead of hateful speech. Whether or not it can, though, is less certain. [From: Mashable and CBS News]

Tags: assassination, barack obama, BarackObama, facebook, law, president, secret service, SecretService, social networking, SocialNetworking, top

Comments

MarkSep 29th 2009 10:35AM

Neutral

I think we let free speech run amock in this country. It's ok if you have something to say that might offend some but when you post "killing the Prez of the USA" that is criminal and you need to be locked up.

Dislike

Report

wmjonesartist28Sep 29th 2009 10:52AM

Neutral

This person should think about what might happen to our country if something like this happened. There would be the possiability of a cival war. If a white man did it, the blacks would retaiate againist everyone.

Dislike

Report

EthanSep 29th 2009 10:58AM

Neutral

Also, in polls like these, the people who would vote yes are far more likely to click on the poll in the first place, the skewed result is quite likely to further the delusion of some that they are the silent majority.

Dislike

Report

Sonia H. VivarSep 29th 2009 11:55AM

Neutral

The internet, Blogging will be in my humble opinion, the smart man's source of information and tool to network with others, who seek the truth. Since the news as we know it in the 21st century, has gone "a la Hollywood" no longer reporting, and focusing more on ratings and rantings. The law is slowly catching up with this new phenomena, as it should.....to keep Blogging somewhat free from useless entries.

Dislike

Report

BrianSep 29th 2009 12:37PM

Neutral

Keep it out of Facebook. 4chan doesn't need the competition.

Dislike

Report

Add your comments

Your comments:

Remember me

E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.