Comments

1
Aren't images of torture and kidnap essentially evidence? Why haven't the Russian authorities found these perps and arrested them?

I know Russia is a gay-hostile place, but presumably the country has laws against kidnapping and torture. WTF.
2
Goddammit. This is horrible. The Americablog post is just searing to read. Here's a link: http://americablog.com/2014/02/russian-p…
3
Regarding Instagram, most policing is done after someone reports an image. It's likely that someone that follows you reported the HUMP! image.

Somebody needs to follow "pikachert" and start keeping tabs.
4
Terrible, although it's better to have hatred out in the open where everyone can see who the shits are instead of hiding undercover like cockroaches.
6
Russia is basically just Alabama in Asia, just with more corruption and worse governance.

I am glad this poorly run and deeply corrupt Olympics are showing the world this fact.
7
@1 You haven't been paying much attention, have you?

Russian police and government, at best, turn a blind eye to it. Though, they also participate in beatings.

That's what the protests have also been about. The normalization of the othering of homosexuals.
8
@ 1, police everywhere ignore attacks against hated minorities. There were laws against kidnapping, torture and murder in the South, too, but somehow police there couldn't be bothered to investigate those crimes when they were rolled up into one thing called lynching.
9
@8 No man, no, this is Russia, the evil empire. The US is pure light and goodness and there's only a few bad apple cops and anyway they had it coming and also furthermore.
10
it does suggest an apathetic response regarding violence against gay people and gay issues. Something I have noticed with many people when it comes to defining gay rights and equality. Many are unresponsive because it is not them or it is over there and has nothing to do with their slice of culture. Possibly because, unconsciously society desires a group to be oppressed as long as it is not them.
Give people the cowardly platform to express their dislike of gay issues online and out comes the hatred.
Here in Canada after many asinine stunts by Rob Ford he expresses his opposition to flying the gay flag outside city hall. The response online was mostly in support of him. Many peoples true colours showed and they were all of a sudden in support of this Canadian joker.
This underlying acceptance of hatred eventually grows because people feel stronger in groups and some groups post images online with this feeling of power. I remember, in the 80's before computers and internet was established Skinheads were very visible here in Vancouver They would walk in a group down the streets of downtown displaying themselves and making a presence. But now these people are cowardly hidden behind computer screens where hatred is easier to display by posting images and videos.
Sites that ignore the postings because of a larger societal acceptance and lack of concern are guilty of supporting this apathetic attitude regarding gay violence. It is a non issue to many because it is not them. Not caring about a particular group because it has become culturally acceptable is perpetuated and validated by hosting these images online.
Saying the images slipped through the cracks and they did not notice is total BS.
11
Threaten them with a lawsuit?
12
Can I get upset about this shit or is that more moral imperialism? Do I have to check to make sure there aren't gays in other countries who have it worse before calling Russia out on this shit???

Fuck anyone watching the Olympics while this shit goes on.
13
Dan just tweeted that Instagram removed the account. Thank you Slog! That was some seriously evil shit.
14
This shows a major problem with social media. The same thing has happened to Facebook.

Facebook bans photos of breasts and even women breastfeeding; at the same time they have tons of pages devoted to sexism, misogyny and other real filth.

Oh and apparently they allow videos of beheadings. But no nipples or breastfeeding babies.

Fuck Facebook and Instagram.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/20…

http://www.themarysue.com/facebook-femal…
15
#4: That's kind of like saying "It's better to have fascists running a country openly than being suppressed in the underground." The fact they're operating so openly is a much bigger problem than some underground organization operating on the margins of the law. A bunch of idiots sitting around on Internet forums screaming about gays and blacks is not nearly as bad as roving gangs beating, torturing, raping and murdering people, and with the tacit support of the fucking state.
16
And here I was ready to get all huffy about why the people of a country that lost millions, millions to the Nazis wasn't at least a little offended by its youth wearing the Nazi symbol and committing crimes (remember when one of the English princes dressed up as an SS officer for Halloween?) but WHAT THE HECK, INSTAGRAM?

Yes, the HUMP ad technically violates the no nudity rule despite being as tame as a pet dove, but how the heck does their detection process work if that image gets marked for removal before a video showing criminal assault?
17
@16 there is very little technology available to evaluate a photo for a Terms of Service violation. Most of it is done by humans. Even offshore outsourced it's expensive. Because of that, most companies rely on user reporting. Even then these things could be actioned at different speeds because nudity is easy to see and action. But those other sites require review by a native language speaker for context. That's a lot slower process.
18
Those HUMP butts are so pornographic. Sigh.

Why are people always mistreating my photos?
19
Also, *DISGUSTING.* So relieved those "safari" accounts are down.
20
I've never understood why so many sites are so snippy about mature content. That HUMP! picture that they took down wouldn't have offended more than the most prudish 5% of the population, tops. Why do the sensibilities of prudes get so much privilege?
21
@20: And the funny thing is: the people complaining about that image would be the exact same people bitching and moaning about not being able to say "f----t" anymore because "we're too PC, pussification of America!"
22
@21 Pretty much. It makes sense to delete content that's illegal or actively harmful to actual people, which is why it's good that these gay-bashing videos were taken down, since the images' continued accessibility served to humiliate the victims. But discriminating against content just because it happens to be sexual in nature is sacrificing some people's free speech rights just so people with sticks up their asses don't have to feel uncomfortable. Seriously, fuck that.
23
This makes me feel so hopeless even as braver people than me are making great strides in gaining equality for all here in American and Europe. Maybe Russia will grow out of it but I fear it could become worse. I feel so angry right now and just want them all dead or arrested, and they use pedophilia to humilate their victims and foster support from everyday ignorant Russians.
24
@23 Physical gay-bashing of this sort used to happen here in the US, too. I have no doubt that Russia will evolve in time. The law against "homosexual propaganda" will delay the speed of change but won't stop it. Eventually the virtuous circle of more gays coming out and more people realizing that the ugly stereotypes are a bunch of lies will do the same work it's done all across the developed world.
25
Thanks 24 for the response, I guess the best thing I can do is live openly and honestly.
26
I'd like to throw a little pragmatism on the fire here. I'm sure it won't be welled received, but as someone who has worked in the field, I want to add some perspective to these issues. First let me say that the sites that were allowed to stay up were horrible and both companies should be ashamed that it went on that long. I haven't had to work with Instagram, but I have worked with Facebook and it's a nightmare. Their basic CS is wretched and the gaping hole that is their appeals process should be an embarrassment to those responsible. I am in no way a cheerleader for them. Second, I'm not going to argue whether allowing nudity is or is not a good thing. I think it's moot to the discussion. Here's what is not moot:

1. From every CS professional to you: You click the link that you agree to the Terms of Service when you join. Just once, could you read the effer?
2. Terms of Service (TOS) enforcement is a black, gaping hole that sucks money for any company. For an international site with a huge number of users it's a nightmare. For a site focused on user-generated content, multiply the nightmare ten-fold. I mention this because both Facebook and Instagram are FREE services. Nobody pays a dime to use them and everybody throws a fit with their monetization strategies.
3. A naked person is a naked person and is easy to spot and action. I pointed out to someone recently: A picture paints a thousand words but if it was the same words to everyone, we wouldn't still be arguing about Mona Lisa's smile. Looking at some of the photos, if you don't speak the language how are you to know what is going on in the picture? Sometimes it's not clear. That makes it much harder and longer to action as a violation.

None of this means they should not be held accountable; that we should rage at them when they screw up big time. But on a daily basis you get what you pay for and you aren't paying squat. Going old-school here, welcome to this generation's angelfire. There be dragons here.

PS Thanks to Americablog for all the great reporting they do.
PSS Dan, did they ever get back to you on how they found your HUMP picture, because mine is still up.
27
I think everyone should share this via facebook and intagram pointing out how they are profitting from these disgusting videos.
28
Good for you, Dan! Keep fighting.

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