“An abuse of power,” says editor who published image.
REUTERS/Stephen Lam
After it was widely criticized Friday for censoring the iconic Vietnam War photograph of a 9-year-old child running during a Napalm attack, Facebook reversed its decision. The photo was posted with a story from a Norwegian newspaper, whose editor claimed it’s an “an abuse of power" on the part of Mark Zuckerberg to censor its inclusion on Facebook postings. The reporter who published the story also had his account suspended, according to Aftenposten editor Espen Egil Hansen. The newspaper received a request from the site to take down the photo and had removed the post fewer than 24 hours later, Hansen said. Facebook's initial statement on Friday defended the removal: "While we recognise that this photo is iconic, it's difficult to create a distinction between allowing a photograph of a nude child in one instance and not others," the company said. "We try to find the right balance between enabling people to express themselves while maintaining a safe and respectful experience for our global community. Our solutions won't always be perfect, but we will continue to try to improve our policies and the ways in which we apply them."
