Tech Trend 247

You may soon see a lot more NSFW content on Facebook. 

The social network is updating its community standards to allow more types of graphic or offensive content that would have previously violated its standards — if the content is deemed newsworthy or "important to the public interest."

"In the weeks ahead, we’re going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant, or important to the public interest — even if they might otherwise violate our standards," facebook's VP of Global Policy Joel Kaplan and VP Global Operations & Media Partnerships Justin Osofsky wrote in a statement..

It's not clear how Facebook will determine what types of content are allowed going forward, but the executives noted that the social network wants to avoid showing graphic content to "minors and others who do not want to see them." Whether this would be automated or whether there would be a specific way to opt-out is unclear. 

Facebook also said it would work with publishers, journalists, members of law enforcement and others as it develops its policies. 

Facebook has grappled with censorship for some time. The social network's somewhat nebulous content policies, which already allow for some kinds of graphic content if it's a matter of public interest, have come under fire repeatedly for uneven enforcement. Earlier this year, a Norwegian newspaper published a front page editorial taking Mark Zuckerberg to task for removing a famous photograph from the Vietnam War.