Facebook To Delete Beheading Videos After Complaints

Facebook has said it will delete videos of people being decapitated which had been spread on its site.

“We will remove instances of these videos that are reported to us while we evaluate our policy and approach to this type of content,” BBC News quotes Facebook.

The company had previously refused to remove several graphic clips, claiming people have a right to show the “world in which we live”.

The turn-about reportedly came after the California-based social network’s safety advisory board criticised the decision to leave the gruesome clips up at the website. 

The warnings came after a one-minute long video was uploaded to the site last week showing a woman being beheaded by a masked man.

A voice heard on the footage suggests that it was filmed in Mexico. A second video clip showing the execution of two men has also been shared on the network after being posted last Wednesday. The victims say they are drug smugglers for a Mexican cartel before being attacked with a chainsaw and knife.

Celia Mellow, who started a petition calling for the clips to go, said she was ‘shocked’ by the images.

Meanwhile, Facebook last night announced first quarter revenues were up 38 per cent on 2012 to £938million. But shares were down 28p to £17.35.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said: ‘We’ve made a lot of progress in the first few months of the year.

‘We have seen strong growth and engagement across our community and launched several exciting products.’