Tuesday 2 October 2012

Hot Topics: The Underbelly of Social Media


Art by Danny Roberts
 
Melbourne, if not the whole of Australia, held its collective breath last week waiting for the news that a 29 year old woman, who had disappeared on her short walk home after a night out with work colleagues, would be found safe and sound.

Sadly her body was found in a shallow grave six days after being reported missing by her husband.  She was an innocent victim who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the early hours of Saturday morning she left a bar to make the 700m short walk home.  She had texted her husband to meet her but he had fallen asleep. Given taxis would not take her such a short distance one of her work colleagues offered to take her home. She declined, not wanting to put him to any trouble and given she had walked home many times before. 

How was she to know that she would come into contact with a killer who just happened to be walking along the same busy road? An opportunistic crime, the police said.

While this young woman wasn't the first and surely won't be the last victim of crime in this city, her death touched us like no other.  Social media played a huge part in galvanising the broader community to try and help find her. Within hours of her disappearance hundreds of thousands of people joined a Facebook page and many left messages of support, volunteered to spread posters over the city, analysed the evidence, donated funds, searched the streets and made online suggestions to the police about what they should be doing to solve the case.

All of us seemed to connect with the victim in some way. Perhaps it was because we saw this beautiful, vulnerable woman on CCTV footage moments before she disappeared.  Maybe it was because she disappeared off a busy suburban street that many of us had frequented time and time again. And probably it was because it could have easily been any one of us, or our daughters, sisters or partners coming home that night.  

Last Sunday, over 30,000 people gathered in response to a call on Facebook to march along the street where she was last seen alive. United in grief, the crowd sent a message loud and clear that the community cared deeply about the victim and it will not put up with violence of any kind. The Chief of Police said he had not seen anything like it in his 37 years of policing.

 
Social Media can indeed be a power of good. It can mobilise people and communicate like no other. And in this case it did. However, it also exposed an underbelly of hate like nothing I have ever witnessed on the internet before. Haters and trolls are so very difficult to control once they are unleashed. And worst of all, they don't even have to live in this country.

First, a strong pattern of victim blaming started to emerge.  They said she deserved what happened to her. Comments were made that she shouldn't have been walking anywhere in the city on her own, she shouldn't have been drinking, she shouldn't have been wearing high heels because she couldn't run, she should have taken up the friends offer of a ride home and she shouldn't have gone out without her husband. No mention was made that a man shouldn't be out on the streets killing innocent women.

Then, after the alleged killer was arrested and charged with rape and murder, Facebook Hate pages sprung up everywhere filled with horrific comments and threats about what they would do to him. Over the weekend the Police officially asked Facebook to take six pages down because their content may very well prejudice the case and could cause the murder trial to be aborted. Facebook has refused to do this.
 
I am shocked. If the traditional press is not allowed to publish hate filled garbage because it may influence legal proceedings then why is Facebook allowed to do so? If we cannot be decent human beings and have respect for the law then we need someone else to bring us into line. There cannot be one rule for offline behaviour and no rules at all for online behaviour.


What do you think? Can or should social media be regulated in some way or should people be allowed to say and do whatever they want regardless of the impact?

28 comments:

  1. Looking at that picture made me want to cry. Beautiful that the community came together, but haunting for the reason why...

    And the comments that she got what she deserved? OMG, that's horrible!

    I do agree that there are times when media needs to shut down to a degree, in this instance, when it can affect the trial. Or at the least, Facebook should publish something to those particular walls to discontinue or something or that nature.

    Though I do believe fully in freedom of speech, I also believe this is abuse of the freedom as well.

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    1. It was incredible that so many people in the suburb marched - it just went out on Facebook a day or so before. I like the fact a community fights back and sends a message that they are no longer willing to accept violence. I think the police post a warning themselves pleading with people not to say too much as it may damage the trial but that is all they can do. Trolls don't have to listen or follow the advice of police - especially if those trolls live on the other side of the world and they are the administrator of the pages. They would have no clue where Australia is let alone who any of these people were....

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  2. This case was so very, very sad. It made the press in the UK because she was Irish. The CCTV footage gave me chills when it was clear the man who stopped her on the street was the killer. We all got to see that and maybe that is why everyone felt so connected to the case. I think the fact she was incredibly beautiful also made people take notice. What a waste of a young life.

    There is so much about the Internet that is good but the trolls are horrific and do not seem to care what they get involved in and what they say. The law has not kept up with the internet and that is resulting in serious problems now I think. Whatever is put on the internet stays there for an eternity. I think the internet has to be regulated but how do you do that internationally. If there is a troll in the UK writing on these FB pages about something that happens in Australia surely it is impossible to control. Sigh. Anyway that was sad but thought provoking too. I am not sure what the answers are really.

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    1. Yes, what a horrible thing, she and her husband only were here for 3 years. I don't know what the answer is but the internet has grown so quickly and the law cannot keep up with it. The fact it crosses so many borders must make law enforcements job so difficult. I just wish people could share an opinion but be respectful of the situation and certainly not troll facebook pages as if it was a blood sport. Bastards!

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  3. I am not on Facebook. So it is hard for me to understand why Facebook wouldn't take down these very hateful pages which might be a negative influence on the outcome of this man's trial. That us just common sense. Nothing to do with censoiship, per say.....
    I am shocked by the incrediblt hatred that is out there on The Social Networks...It makes me feel the whole world has gone mad! Crazy Mad!
    And I find that frightening. Civility just doesn't exist anymore.

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    1. My blog is on Facebook but I am not. It is great for people to newtork and keep in touch. It is just that some hateful people around the world tend to jump on memorial facebook pages and write the most hateful things which incites much anger among grieving people. It is Crazy Mad but then I guess, as Lisleman says, it has always been that way - the Internet has just given some idiots a much larger stage with a far bigger potential audience.

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  4. you have just outlined a very real problem with social media, the good and the BAD. Is it good for us to know so much about everything, so instantly? We are in the early days of this kind of change and we will have to have new rules evolve, due to incidents such as you have described.

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    1. Excellent point Christine - I think kids have to be educated a lot more about the impact of their postings online as well. And we as bloggers hould be mindful too about what we are saying and publishing.

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  5. What a sad, horrible case. I've heard of wonderful things that social media has done, but this is an example of why it's also so bad. This terrible thing was nobody's fault but the killer.

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    1. Yes Kay. It is nobody else's fault. Sometimes people have to walk the streets. My daughter lives in an inner city area but she has to walk alone in the dark sometimes to get from her bus or tram stop to her apartment. It too is a busy area. It is ridiculous of people to say they should not do it. I guess this is why this case affected me so much because the young woman could have been my daughter. She was in the area out with friends the same night. As for the blaming culture, I see it all the time. Someone close to me was raped and the first thing that comes out of some people's mouths were things like, what was she wearing, what was she doing, had she been drinking etc etc. In fact, I was so concerned about it I looked up why people do that. Apparently its because we grow up thinking fairy tales tell us good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. When something bad happens to somebody we assume is a good person, we tend to think they must have done something wrong. It apparently tends to make people feel better about themselves and think 'this couldn't have happened to me because I wouldn't have put myself in that sort of situation'. It is a fascinating old world hey?

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  6. I had not heard of this story. I thought FB or any web site had to follow legal orders. I believe these inconsiderate social misfits have always existed. Years ago you would only hear them if you were in shouting distance of them. Today they shout from their keyboards. Chicago recently had a young student (male) go missing from his university. Social media was used to search for him. They found his body in the nearby harbor. Last I heard they did not suspect foul play. I don't use social media for news events. They are not reliable in my opinion. Well thought out post and great question.

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    1. Thanks Bill. You are right of course. The same people always existed socila media has just given them a new anonymous platform to spew their vile bile. I guess I have never seen it quite like this before - it is quite scary. It is a slice of society that only used to rise above the radar every now and then. Whereas now it has become a new sport for online bullies. I was not aware that trolls deliberately hijack memorial pages. Apparently Facebook does not have to comply with a police request but of course will bow to public opinion. The police here could charge an Australian for public nuisance on the internet but they have no control if people are sitting in the Bahamas, the UK or the US. I should focus on the positive bit which is the tens of thousands of people that came out peacefully to reclaim the street. Its a funny old world we live in and social media has made it much smaller and that much more transparent I guess.

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  7. I reckon Facebook is one of mankinds best inventions. It allows me to see and talk to family and friends all over the world and has allowed me to reaquaint myself with old friends with whom I had lost touch. Facebook is like alcohol, if you don't abuse it, you'll enjoy it a lot more.

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    1. Yes like all good things, use it in moderation. Shame I dont do that with sugar....

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  8. It is a sad case. It's not something you would expect to happen along a busy road.

    Personally, I've always assumed the worst in people, the kids have been instructed to call Dad for a pickup from the train station if after 9pm. I've sat up waiting many a night (or early morn) to play cabbie.

    BTW we live 5 mins from the station and the kid is 6'3" and does weights.

    Did you read about Anna. Same week.

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    1. I think sadly you are right. You have to assume the worst. Chances of it happening are miniscule my daughter assures me. she rides her bike along the Yarra late after work and I am forever on my knees praying. I think after this incident she won't be doing that for a while. It has shocked a lot of people who were pretty secure about their personal safety. Good on you for playing cabbie, you are a great Dad. Yes, Anna was a different story. I won't go into it on here but her passing was tragic but not unexpected. Only 19 too.

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  9. I just read in the Age that Facebook has finally agree to take down a few of the sites after protracted discussionw with the Police. About time too!

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    1. You might find this interesting. It was not Facebook that took down the pages but the people who started the pages. Facebook still refused.

      And I quote from the Age, "The working group was formed hours after the Victorian Police Commissioner, Ken Lay, savaged Facebook, declaring that it incited hatred and undermined the state's legal system by hosting pages that could prejudice the trial of the man who allegedly raped and murdered Ms Meagher.

      He said Facebook's arguments about why it could not remove the pages - some of which call for the accused, Adrian Ernest Bayley, to be executed - were ''a nonsense'', and that the company lacked a sense of social responsibility.

      It was reported this week Facebook had removed the pages, but Mr Lay said it was the creator of the page who did.

      ''To me it's just a nonsense that someone who is sucking an enormous amount of money out of the community isn't prepared to invest in that community by helping it stay safe and act in an appropriate manner.''

      Mr Lay said the pages in question were ''offensive garbage'' and police and MPs were working on ways to force Facebook to remove offensive pages on request."


      Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/states-to-tackle-social-media-laws-after-alarm-over-fair-trial-for-accused-20121005-274py.html#ixzz28SrxKPqh

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  10. Those of us who live in a democratic society value our right to freedom of speech. However we should always be aware that every right carries with it a corresponding, implied responsibility. If we take advantage of our right to freedom of speech we are obliged to use it sensibly, without breaking the law of the land, interfering with the rights of our fellow citizens or hurting the feelings of other people. I agree, Lilly, that it is time the idiots, who feel that they can give themselves a licence to write whatever they please on social media, are regulated. Here's hoping the powers-that-be can come up with a system that is fair, but effective.

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    1. Wow, that was a great comment. And let's hope it does not become all too hard. We have to stop thinking that social media does not matter anymore - it is all powerful.

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    1. Thank you, if you click on the Inspiration page above you will find a lot more of Danny Roberts' artwork. He is very talented.

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  12. So sad about her senseless tragic death at the hands of an opportunistic killer. Her husband must be devastated.
    Blaming the victim is deplorable.
    Hating the killer seems like karmic justice.

    But should the social network sites be able to say whatever they want in general on every issue? That's such a tough one, Lilly.
    It seems like if there are two sides to every site - a 'nice' side and a 'not nice' side, so that the different reactions seem to have a possibility of balance just in the chance to react either way, maybe it wouldn't seem so possibly dangerous.

    I am thinking of propaganda, like what Hitler did...
    Or the north korea dictator did/does.
    So communication can be manipulated / controlled /exploited for 'bad' reasons...

    Or it can be used for good. But who gets to make the decision of who can do what? I'd like to say the 'good' people, but does that mean only those who agree with me?

    The internet is superficial, and the facts are not usually presented in full. That's dangerous too.

    But mass outrage at a murderer? I think he deserves that backlash, and a judge should understand that.

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    1. Thanks Jo Dee for such a thoughtful and considered reply.

      Yes you are right in terms of the difference between controlled communication in order to hoodwink the public and the differing opinions expressed by people. We should be able to express our differning opinions in a mature way but it doesn't happen off the internet let alone on it. I guess for me, I am not aware there were so many trolls who just gravitate towards Memorium sites and post the most horrendoucs things, not because they know the deceased or have something thoughtful to say. They go there to say the most horrendous things just to get attention. I think the internet allows that to happen anonymously and with no danger of being stopped. You have really given me some food for thought on this one though. I love the way you think through issues.

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  13. Jo Dee - I just thought of one thing I forgot to say. I think the Judge will understand the backlash but what they are concerned about is the backlash and social media comments influencing jurors who will have to decide on the fate of the alleged murderer. Odd I know but that's why the police want the pages taken down.

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  14. Hi Lilly, about 25 years ago my hairdresser, Edith, who was becoming my friend was viciously murdered. I wrote an essay about it. I am sharing these few sentences because it encapsulates what I feel about the vicious trolls who hide behind the anonymity that the internet provides them:

    "Mother, family, friends, we circle what we knew of Edith’s life, gathering like vultures to pick apart the bones we have of her story. If we can find blame with something she did, a decision she made, a way she walked, a place she went, we can avoid her fate. We can be safe. Murder will not happen to us or ours or so we think.
    It wasn’t your fault that you were murdered, Edith. It wasn’t your fault. Even if it was a stranger. Even if it was someone you thought a friend. Even if it was your ex-husband who was picked up for questioning by the police. It wasn’t your fault."

    I hate the blaming, second-guessing, finger pointing, name-calling, etcetera. But, as has been said a few times - there is always a dichotomy to life - the good and the bad, the freeing and the damning. Thanks for sharing this horrific crime and the outpouring of support. I will hold on to that more than the underbelly.

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    1. I have to go and find your story Can Can and link it here - wow you have such a way with words. Thank you, you said it far more succinctly than me. It is so true what you wrote. We do blame the victim because then we feel we have control over what happens to us. x

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  15. Lawyers for the man accused of murdering ABC employee Jill Meagher have applied to the courts to try to stop internet sites publishing material that could damage the case.

    Adrian Bayley, 41, is charged with the rape and murder of Ms Meagher, who went missing nearly three weeks ago from Brunswick in Melbourne's north.

    Bayley appeared via video link as his lawyer applied for suppression orders, focusing on internet material they argue is damaging the administration of justice.

    The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Bayley had become the target of intense scrutiny, speculation and hatred on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

    It heard the material had the potential to damage his right to a fair trial by contaminating a future jury.

    The court heard the police also support orders to stop prejudicial material.

    The magistrate was asked to intervene and send a strong message that material that could damage the case would not be tolerated and could result in criminal sanctions.

    Part of the request was that Bayley's image be suppressed.

    A decision on any suppression orders will be made on Thursday.

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Thanks for your comments.