Offensive Imagery

Despite its international reach and its relative seniority in online corporate terms, it appears that Facebook has yet to outgrow the ethical standards of the American adolescent male. Last month the site repeatedly censored a famous historical photograph posted by the Norwegian prime minister; this month Scandinavian values have caused further controversy with the deletion of a Swedish video on breast cancer awareness. The video features cartoon breasts aimed at showing women how to check for lumps, which the American adolescent algorithm has evidently taken in quite a different spirit. The Swedish Cancer Society has registered pardonable bemusement; but Facebook, offended beyond all possibility of negotiation, seems to have locked itself in its bedroom with its headphones on.