More Facebook controversy: Father of killed journalist calls for FTC action

The father of a journalist who was killed on the job back in 2015 filed a complaint against Facebook with the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday. In the complaint, Andy Parker accused Facebook of failing to remove videos showing his daughter’s death. It’s the latest controversy for the social media company that is facing increased scrutiny over the potentially harmful impact Facebook and Instagram are having on young children, particularly teenagers.

The video above shows clips from a news conference that Parker spoke at Tuesday.

“Posting content, violent content and murder on social media is not free speech, it’s savagery,” Parker said. “And as you all know, Alison’s murder shared on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube is just one of the egregious practices that are undermining the fabric of our society.”

Parker filed a similar FTC complaint last year against Google and its YouTube service. The FTC declined to comment on the latest filing and doesn’t typically disclose whether or not it has decided to investigate a complaint.

Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were killed by a former co-worker while reporting for Roanoke, Virginia’s WDBJ-TV. According to the complaint, video footage of the journalist getting killed — some of which was taken by the gunman — repeatedly resurfaces on Facebook and Instagram despite assurances from top executives that it will be removed.

“I’ve maintained for years that Facebook and Google profit from the video of my daughter, Alison’s murder, in 2015, and violate what they advertise to the public that they don’t allow violent content on their platforms,” Parker said. “Now both these companies have denied it over and over again, but we knew better.”

The complaint comes a week after a former Facebook data scientist delivered damning testimony against Facebook.

“Ms. Haugen revealed, again, as we’ve known for some time, that Facebook has the ability to use its A.I. to stop this shameful practice,” Parker said. “But instead, their algorithms are not designed to make using Facebook as helpful or as wholesome as possible. They’re designed to keep users hooked.”

Despite taking his complaints to the FTC, Parker echoed Haugen’s plea to Congress to do something.

“I hope my FTC complaint gets traction, but ultimately Congress is going to have to fix social media before it ruins our country and the world,” Parker said.