Score one more for decency over Facebook
Not my favourite paper, but the first link I managed to find. The theme is the same as before: if you provide an audience and a platform for communications, you have a certain responsibility.
The (UK) PM condemned those signing up to the “Legend” and “RIP Raoul Moat” pages. He told the Commons: “As far as I can see, it is absolutely clear that Raoul Moat was a callous murderer – full stop, end of story.
“I cannot understand any wave, however small, of public sympathy for this man. There should be sympathy for his victims and for the havoc he wreaked in that community.” Mr Cameron was responding to a question from Tory MP Chris Heaton-Harris, who said he should ask Facebook to take the “RIP Raoul Moat You Legend” group page down as it had anti-police statements.
Downing Street last night said they would be contacting Facebook to explain the PM’s anger but would not order them to remove the pages. A spokesman said: “Ultimately this is a matter for Facebook.” More than 33,000 people have joined a tribute group on the networking site. An Owen Moat wrote: “I wish Raoul Moat was my dad!” Another, Matthew Sharma, said he hoped he was “brave enough to do a Moaty” if his partner cheated.
Facebook, which has 26 million UK users, last night refused to take down the pages. It said while many would find some of the topics discussed “distasteful”, “that is not a reason in itself to stop a debate from happening”. Moat’s family distanced themselves from the tributes and revealed they planned to give him a Christian funeral.