The father of 16-year-old Francis, who tragically died in an accident caused by a drunk and drugged driver, has faced punishment from Facebook. Peter Aerts had shared pictures of the perpetrator on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, resulting in both accounts being deleted for a few days. nonetheless, after the publication of an article highlighting the situation, Peter was suddenly able to log back in, although restrictions have been imposed until mid-September. This incident raises questions about the power and responsibility of social media platforms in moderating content.
Peter Aerts, the father of 16-year-old Francis who died last year after an accident caused by a drunk and drugged driver, has been punished by Facebook. The reason: he had shared pictures of the death rider. Both his Facebook and Instagram accounts were deleted for a few days. Coincidence or not: after publication of the article, he was suddenly able to log in again, but restrictions have been imposed until mid-September.
Peter put on the sad anniversary of his son’s death one year ago a post with photos of the perpetrator on Facebook stating ‘thanks for forever screwing up my life’. He also asked to share the message, which was met with massive response. A response was not long in coming. The Facebook post has already been removed after a few days after a visit by the police with an order from the prosecutor’s office. In the meantime, nonetheless, a lot of screenshots are doing the rounds.
Account blocked
Facebook suddenly took action itself. “I received a message on Monday that my account was blocked,” says Peter. “It is not clear to me when asked by whom, but I was able to appeal. I did that on Wednesday. A lot of people tag me in posts with pictures of the man who killed my son, but I haven’t posted anymore myself.”
Facebook itself said that it usually takes one day before a decision is made. “Meanwhile, we are already Friday and so I suspect that my account has been permanently deleted. I don’t wake up. It gives me a bit of peace after the hectic period. Fortunately, I still have a copy of all the photos on my account on my computer. It’s just a pity that no one can reach me on Messenger anymore. On the other hand, the people close to my heart still have my phone number.”
Decision revoked
Strangely enough, the decision to delete the account was reversed barely an hour after publishing this article and Peter’s account is suddenly back online. He was, nonetheless, subject to a number of restrictions until September 15. “What a newspaper article can’t do”, Peter reacts in surprise. “Apparently I have to keep my mouth shut for a month, but it’s certainly better than being permanently removed from Facebook.”
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