Facebook – Revise Community Standards

Subject: Remove Pages That Promote Animal Cruelty - Crimes Against Animals Are Felonies in 50 States.

A letter to Mark Zuckerberg – Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer and Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Officer

 

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Sandberg,

 

We are writing to request a revision of Facebook Community Standards to include the removal of pages which promote animal cruelty - crimes against animals. Additionally, we request those pages to be reported to the proper authorities.

 

“Graphic images shared for sadistic effect or to celebrate or glorify violence have no place on our site.” - Facebook Community Standards

 

While the above statement was taken directly from Facebook Community Standards, reporting pages which promote animal cruelty rarely takes precedence with whomever reviews them. We, and many others, would like to see this change. Crimes against animals is a felony in 50 states in the United States. Animal cruelty and crimes against animals should have no place on Facebook.

 

It is very disheartening to learn that people are creating pages on Facebook simply to promote crimes against animals. They often create events to encourage others to commit heinous acts of abuse; while posting graphic photos celebrating the cruelty, torture, and death of animals. Under the above statement alone those pages should be removed and reported to the proper authorities.

 

Yet we feel there is too much leeway for individual interpretation of the above statement. We are asking you to please revise Facebook Community Standards to include crimes against animals, and events encouraging cruelty and crimes against animals, specifically within Violence and Threats and within Graphic Content of the Facebook Community Standards policy. Moreover, we ask that crimes against animals pages are reported to the proper authorities.  

 

Facebook is a place to share and connect with others through friendship, life experiences, and volunteer efforts; not a place to promote the cruelty, torture, and death of animals. Please do the right thing and make this change! Shut down and report those pages which glorify cruelty and crimes against animals.

 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

 

 Sincerely,

 

 Angela Picozzi and Gigi Fratus