Social media giant Facebook is coming under as much fire for pulling Roger Ebert’s Facebook page as Ebert himself faced in the wake of his controversial comments yesterday regarding the tragic death of “Jackass” star Ryan Dunn.
On Tuesday, Facebook removed Roger Ebert’s Facebook page for what appeared to be a violation of its terms of use. The supposed violation stemmed from Ebert’s comment that “Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive” – a reference to how Dunn was allegedly drinking heavily before crashing his vehicle in the early morning hours of this past Monday.
Authorities, however, have not yet determined the specific cause of the accident as autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending. For now, speed is the only tangible culprit in this regrettable situation.
Still, Ebert’s comments sparked outrage from many, individuals who presumably aired their grievances with Facebook. For a brief time today, Ebert’s page was suspended, although it now appears the suspension is over.
Regardless, Facebook is coming under fire by social media activists who believe platforms like Facebook should provide an unrestricted outlet for people to voice their opinions, particularly those that caution responsible behavior.
Following the reinstatement of Ebert’s page, the iconic film critic wrote: “Facebook has removed my page in response, apparently, to malicious complaints from one or two jerks. Facebook! My page is harmless and an asset to you. Why did you remove it in response to anonymous jerks? Makes you look bad.”
