Once social media platforms were created, the need to establish laws that govern their existence, the interpersonal relationships, and their dissemination soon followed. Social media platforms created virtual societies and as such, many highlighted the necessity of having rules books and laws to govern all form of interactions, communications, and work between the members.
Consider Facebook as an example. Facebook designed specific laws to protect the freedom of expression of each member and making sure that each member did not trespass or potentially offend the liberty of others through broadcasting messages of hate, rejection, stigma, prejudice, aggression, violence, etc. Accordingly, Facebook generated Community Standards*. It consists of 26 bylaws divided into six groups:
• Violence and criminal behavior• Safety• Objectionable content• Integrity and authenticity• Respecting intellectual property• Content-related request
Anyone who violates any of these bylaws is punished by being sentenced to go to Facebook’s Jail. In other words, that users might be blocked or potentially banned by Facebook moderator from posting or being active on their account for their unlawful behavior. Facebook is very clear and outlines to its members of what types of posts it forbids from being broadcasted on their platform. Do not fear, Facebook will not imprison you as long as you abide by their laws.
Which leads the conversation to murder… Have you ever killed anyone on these virtual social media platforms? Some consider blocking someone from your friends’ list on Facebook as an act of murder. There are many reasons why a member can press the Block button. In this discussion, however, the focus on Blocking relates to the topic of freedom of expression. Are differences in opinions between Facebook members valid or good-enough reasons to rule against them with a death sentence? So long as the other member is exercising their right to freedom of expression while still breathing, drinking, eating, and living their life as they please, being banned from any member’s social network of friends on virtual life will not put an end to him/her. Blocking a member from one’s social network of friends on Facebook does not mean that the other party was prevented from expressing their right to say whatever.
In my opinion, blocking a member from my network can be considered as a way of restricting my exposure to differing ideas or sayings that do not fit my personal belief system or my thought process. It is a form of assertiveness, a way of setting limits and boundaries to others that might offend my personal space. Blocking someone should never be the first choice a member resorts to, but remains one of the options granted to members by Facebook.
*For more information on Facebook’s Community Standards, kindly visit:https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/violence_criminal_behavior