Facebook Introduces New Tools to Combat Bullying and Harassment

Facebook has today introduced a set of new tools and programs to help people better control unwanted, offensive or hurtful experiences on the social network. The company is also giving its users more control over how people comment and interact with their posts because comments can sometimes be used to bully or harass people on Facebook.

Starting today, Facebook is introducing a way for people to hide or delete multiple comments at once from the options menu of their post. The feature is rolling out on desktop and Android and will be available on iOS in the coming months. Meanwhile, Facebook is testing ways to more easily search for and block offensive words from appearing in comments.

If you see a friend or family member being bullied or harassed, now you can report someone on their behalf via the menu above the post that you are concerned about. Once reported, Facebook’s Community Operations team will review the post and take necessary action. People will also be able to appeal decisions on cases involving bullying and harassment.

“In the coming weeks, we will further expand our policies to better protect public figures against harassment regardless of age. For example, severe attacks that directly engage a public figure will not be allowed under the new policy. If anyone experiences unwanted behavior on Facebook, they can report the person who is bullying or harassing them, anonymously ignore unwanted messages, and block someone without them being notified.”

Facebook says it is also working with community organizations and schools across the US and the UK to offer peer-to-peer online safety and anti-bullying programs. 

To learn more about Facebook’s Bullying Prevention Hub, click here.