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Facebook Businesses Crime

Facebook To Act on Illegal Sale of Amazon Rainforest (bbc.com) 22

Facebook says it will begin clamping down on the illegal sale of protected areas of the Amazon rainforest on its site. From a report: The social media giant changed its policy following a BBC investigation into the practice. The new measures will apply only to conservation areas and not to publicly owned forest. And the move will be limited to the Amazon, not other rainforests and wildlife habitats across the world. According to a recent study from the think tank Ipam (Instituto de Pesquisa Ambental da Amazonia), a third of all deforestation happens in publicly-owned forests in the Amazon. Facebook said it would not reveal how it planned to find the illegal ads but said it would "seek to identify and block new listings" in protected areas of the Amazon rainforest. In February, the BBC Our World documentary Selling the Amazon revealed that plots of rainforest as large as 1,000 football pitches were being listed on Facebook's classified ads service.
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Facebook To Act on Illegal Sale of Amazon Rainforest

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  • Kind of like that "I have a bridge to sell you" scam making the rounds of Slashdot.

    • Kind of like that "I have a bridge to sell you" scam making the rounds of Slashdot.

      I'll sell you as many football-pitch sized rainforest units as you want. And I'll even throw in a star named just for you! *

      (* Both to be recorded on an official sheet of papyrus and stored in my basement.)

      Bitcoin accepted.

    • What! You mean this "Certificate of Authenticity for ONE bridge" isn't valid nor legal? Who knew! /s

      TIL Feces Book has classifieds.

      --
      Do you REALLY want to use a website where the owner (Zuckerberg) calls his customers: They "trust" me. Dumb fucks.

  • Since when is 1000 football pitches an SI unit?

    Also, why does Facebook have to do this, isnâ(TM)t there a government that oversees the sale of its land?

    What does it even mean to illegally sell land? Do they just sell you fake land titles and then the new owner basically gets ripped off? There are a lot of scams like that, why doesnâ(TM)t Facebook go after all scams in their advertising?

    • In an ideal world... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Okian Warrior ( 537106 ) on Monday October 11, 2021 @11:22AM (#61880639) Homepage Journal

      Since when is 1000 football pitches an SI unit?

      Also, why does Facebook have to do this, isnâ(TM)t there a government that oversees the sale of its land?

      What does it even mean to illegally sell land? Do they just sell you fake land titles and then the new owner basically gets ripped off? There are a lot of scams like that, why doesnâ(TM)t Facebook go after all scams in their advertising?

      Facebook censoring listings is totally, completely the wrong way to do this.

      The *right* way is for Facebook to detect illegal activity and report it to the proper authorities, and respond to proper authority requests for censorship due to illegal activity.

      Mistakes can then be corrected by investigation, or court action with judicial rules of evidence, rather than by having someone at facebook with a political agenda deciding based on guesswork and the "looks" of the post.

      The *right* way would mean facebook doesn't need to hire as many people, doesn't get caught up in censorship controversy, and can offload responsibility to someone that the people can elect.

      But then, all those nasty, uncomfortable posts that a small minority can't abide but which are completely legal would be allowed, and we can't allow other people to do things that we don't like...

      • You must first argue from the start, realize that everything on facebook that hits hundreds of thousands of peoples feeds gets reported.

        Everything.

        They cannot reduce their need for human reviewers in the way you suggest.

        But they can reduce their need for human reviewers by having a policy of being liberal with the banhammer. Reviewing is simply faster that way. Automation can do some of the heavy lifting.
      • by nagora ( 177841 )

        and we can't allow other people to do things that we don't like...

        Yes. That's what the police and army are there for and why we have votes and all that "law" stuff.

      • The *right* way is for Facebook to detect illegal activity and report it to the proper authorities, and respond to proper authority requests for censorship due to illegal activity.

        In this case, the proper authorities are in Brazil, headed by Jair Bolsonaro who has denied covid is a problem in his country while at the same time purchasing worthless hydrochloroquine. He's also turned his back on anything resembling protecting the Amazon rain forest [cbsnews.com], with deforestation from illegal logging, illegal mining, an

      • So blocking your property from performing illegal activities, which you call "Censoring" is somehow a morally reprehensible activity. However, allowing them to do the illegal activity on your property, then report them to authorities who will probably perform violence towards them, or take away their rights as they will be locked up. Is somehow more of a moral solution to the problem?

        The problem is with many scammers is that they were interned scammed into doing such work, with promises of a big pay check,

      • by DRJlaw ( 946416 ) on Monday October 11, 2021 @12:42PM (#61880867)

        Facebook censoring listings is totally, completely the wrong way to do this.

        The *right* way is for Facebook to detect illegal activity and report it to the proper authorities..

        and censor the listings. Because in most legal systems, once you have knowledge that you're actively assisting likely illegal activity, you can be charged as an accomplice [cornell.edu] to the illegal activity.

      • by LKM ( 227954 )
        Aren't you exactly the kind of person you are complaining about? You're part of a small minority that can't abide what Facebook is doing here, even though what Facebook is doing is completely legal. Why can't you take your own advice, and allow Facebook to do things that you don't like?
      • Mistakes can then be corrected by investigation, or court action with judicial rules of evidence, rather than by having someone at facebook with a political agenda deciding based on guesswork and the "looks" of the post.

        Since when is following the law a "political agenda?" Why did you have to throw that weird phrase in an otherwise reasonable post?

  • Interesting that only now do they care.
  • by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Monday October 11, 2021 @11:42AM (#61880693)

    That's a new one.

  • oriented keep in touch site. It is a shame they can't keep politics and commerce out -- oh wait they are in the business to make money -- never you mind.
  • by Miles_O'Toole ( 5152533 ) on Monday October 11, 2021 @12:21PM (#61880819)

    For all the diversity of life in the Amazon and other rain forests, it's hard not to notice that the most poisonous reptile of all is Zuckerberg. The world would be a better place without him in it.

  • ...And buy the Amazon. Prolly wouldn't clear SEC anti trust scrutiny.
  • Facebook will be clamping down on users who bite their nails, and those who drink too much Gatorade, in an effort to better humanity.

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