The Facebook “Year in Review” feature is usually a nice, quick trip down memory lane of the past year. Occasionally, some of the pictures—like those of an ex—can conjure up some bad memories, but in the end it’s all pretty harmless.
Except, that is, for when your “Year in Review” features a cover photo of your deceased daughter.
That is what happened to Eric Meyer, a man who lost his five-year-old to brain cancer this year. Because the algorithms used to create “Year in Review” don’t have feelings or a general sense of propriety, his popular photo took center stage and reminded him of this terrible tragedy.
His blog post on the subject was picked up by the Washington Post, and quickly made its way over to the Facebook offices. To their credit, the app’s project manager immediately got in touch with Meyer and apologized. Meyer, too, has offered an apology of sorts for putting the Facebook team on blast:
“I honestly expected “Inadvertent Algorithmic Cruelty” to be read by maybe two or three hundred people over the next couple of weeks, all of the friends, colleagues, and friends who are colleagues…
I did get email from Jonathan Gheller, product manager of the Year in Review team at Facebook, before the story starting hitting the papers, and he was sincerely apologetic. Also determined to do better in the future. But I am very sorry that I dropped the Internet on his head for Christmas. He and his team didn’t deserve it.”
Meyer is not the only one to have terribly sad moments from his past year dredged up by the app. Photos of a loved ones’ ashes and deceased pets are among the other things users have had pop up, only further reinforcing the idea that if you don’t want Facebook using a photo against you in some way, it’s probably a good idea not to let them see it.
[via Buzzfeed]
