No, the censors on Facebook are 150 men and women — almost 20 percent of its total workforce — who spend their days examining flagged photos and giving them a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
Newsweek did a profile on these staff members, most of whom come equipped with advanced degrees and a desire to work their way up the food chain at one of the mightiest websites in the land.
For the many adult industry professionals who use Facebook to promote themselves, the rules governing these employees are instructive. Some of their prime directives include:
• The "fully exposed butt" rule. Such images are forbidden.
• The "nipple" rule. Any amount of exposed areola will get a photo bounced.
• Underage drinking or drug-related activity of any kind will also draw their wrath.
Author David Kirkpatrick explored the social-networking phenomenon in his book "The Facebook Effect," and he noted the balancing act Facebook is trying to pull off in the aftermath of sites like Friendster and MySpace.
"[Friendster and MySpace] were essentially shanghaied by pornography and sexual displays," he said, explaining that the reason why Facebook wants to avoid becoming a hangout for "crazy kids" is because they are trying to build a website that can service everyone.
According to Newsweek, MySpace actually takes a much harsher stance against anything naughty. Using a staff of "hundreds" and some high-tech software, MySpace checks all of the images that hit its servers, not just the ones that get reported.
