After images of journalist’s beheading spread, Twitter creates policy to remove them
Families can request for images to be taken down, though Twitter warns that factors such as newsworthiness will be taken into account.
A violent video posted by terrorist group ISIS spread across social media Tuesday night. It depicts the beheading of a man the group claims is American photojournalist James Foley, who has been missing since 2012.
The video and screenshots from it were particularly prevalent on Twitter. Late Tuesday, Twitter announced a new policy:
In order to respect the wishes of loved ones, Twitter will remove imagery of deceased individuals in certain circumstances. Immediate family members and other authorized individuals may request the removal of images or video of deceased individuals, from when critical injury occurs to the moments before or after death, by sending an e-mail to privacy@twitter.com.
Twitter has reportedly been suspending users who have posted violent images from ISIL’s video, which has led some observers to wonder whether news sources that posted photos would be punished, too.
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