Facebook explains Kirk Cameron movie trailer block
Actor Kirk Cameron co-hosts on NBC's "Today" show as part of Hollywood Heartthrobs week. (March 16, 2010) Credit: AP
Facebook Monday said automated technology and not a content judgment had caused it to block links to a movie trailer for Kirk Cameron's religious documentary, "Unstoppable."
"To protect the hundreds of millions of people who connect and share on Facebook every day, we have automated systems that work in the background" to stymie "bad actors who often use links to spread spam and malware," the social-network site said in a statement.
"These systems are . . . not perfect, though," the site continued, "and in rare instances they make mistakes. This link was blocked for a very short period of time after being misidentified as a potential spam or malware site."
Facebook reversed the block a day after instituting it on Thursday, after Cameron's followers gave his Facebook post about 108,000 likes and 339,000 shares, reported E! Online.
"People tried to stop 'Unstoppable' on Facebook, and because millions of us joined together as one voice," the former "Growing Pains" star, 42, wrote on Friday, "Facebook has apologized and welcomed us back!"
