Facebook Apologizes for Taking Down Stanford Rape Case Meme
A meme featuring a picture of Stanford rapist Brock Turner with the caption, "MY NAME IS BROCK / IM A RAPIST," was erroneously removed from several users' Facebook accounts earlier today, Gizmodo reports.
Turner, a 20-year-old former Stanford student, has been an object of public scorn since he received a lenient six-month sentence after he sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a frat house dumpster in 2015. He was caught in the act by two men and attempted to flee the scene of the crime.
The reason for his lenient sentence? White male privilege. Judge Aaron Persky explained his decision: "A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others."
Facebook users were upset that their posts were removed, especially because it doesn't violate its community standards, which permits "open and critical discussion of people who are featured in the news or have a large public audience based on their profession or chosen activities." And it's a matter of public record: Brock Turner is a rapist, even if the courts didn't quite treat him like one.
Facebook, a company that's made a habit out of wrongfully removing images, handled the situation pretty well, immediately apologizing. They told Gizmodo,
This content was removed in error, and we are currently working to restore it. Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong. We're very sorry about this mistake.
Facebook assured Gizmodo that as well as working to restore the images that were taken down, they will make sure that anyone who posts the meme in the future won't have their post taken down. So if you feel so inclined, post away. And while you're at it, check out this website.
