Professor Joh Comments for New York Times, Los Angeles Times on Facebook Murder Video

Professor Elizabeth Joh commented for media including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times on the controversy surrounding a murder that was recorded and posted on Facebook.

“This is absolutely the dark side of providing an open, live forum for someone to post whatever they want,” Joh commented for the Los Angeles Times.

Social media platforms have been reluctant to monitor content posted by users, but incidents such as the murder have prompted questions about their role in encouraging and publicizing criminal behavior, Joh said.

“Any of these platforms — especially live ones — encourages users to perform,” Joh told the New York Times. “Should Facebook have a duty to rescue a crime victim? Should we, or is it O.K. for thousands or millions of people to watch a crime unfold without doing anything except sharing it?”

Professor Joh's scholarship focuses on criminal procedure and policing, with a special emphasis on DNA evidence, undercover policing, and new surveillance technologies. She is the recipient of King Hall’s 2017 Distinguished Teaching Award.

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