- Target:
- Region:
- GLOBAL
Facebook has started to remove pages and groups that relate to BDSM and that lifestyle as of lately. These groups often give support and a safe space for those involve in the scene to discuss past experiences and advice for a healthy approach to this lifestyle. These groups also educate the differences between abuse versus how one should be treated and treating others in a BDSM or DD/LG scene. They remove those who abuse the lifestyle from the pages and groups with close monitoring. There are also often many individuals who seek advice and a sense of belonging in these groups. The removal of these groups is detrimental because it removes the easy access of proper education and needed support for those involved in these scenes. Furthermore, it allows space for misinterpretation of the lifestyle through dangerous abusive stories (e.g. of Fifty Shades of Grey). Those looking into the lifestyle could be dangerously misled into bad situations.
We, the undersigned, call on Facebook to relook their policy as far as removing Facebook page and groups that relate to BDSM, DDLG, and similar lifestyles. We also greatly care for the rights and support for others in the scene and thus propose an alternate of monitoring that shows Facebook that these groups are much more educational, and supportive, than detrimental. The proposed solution is that FB can request a written report annually regarding each group where members can do a poll for how they feel the group adheres to the education, support, and safety aspects Facebook is concerned with. The admins can also fill out a form to respond to questions to submit to Facebook annually. This solution is two-fold, Facebook wouldn't be able to remove groups that are good for the community (e.g. they can figure this out by reading results from the questionnaires and polls), but they can also warn and delete groups that have an actual detrimental effect on the community.
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The Stop the Removal of BDSM groups/pages on Facebook petition to Facebook was written by Wendy and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.