A Facebook page dedicated to photos of fairgoers has met with mixed reaction in Iowa.
The Iowa State Fair has filed a complaint with Facebook, asking them to take down a page called “People of the Iowa State Fair,” but Facebook said the page did not violate their community standards according to a report by our sister station WHO-TV.
“It’s kind of a hurtful Facebook page,” said Iowa State Fair spokesperson Lori Chappell.
Because the fairgrounds are public property, privacy is not at issue in this case, the report said. Posts and comments on the page were also protected as free speech. Posts and photos are shared on the page by other Facebook users, who are identified in the posts.
“(I)f I took the site down tomorrow, someone else would have a new one by the end of the day. And they may not moderate it with the same considerations we do. They may be unwilling to remove items. They may add hateful captions. We do none of that, and we do not encourage anyone else to,” was part of the response WHO reported receiving from the page administrator, who says people go to the page and stay there “by their own free will.”
That hasn’t stopped some commenters from identifying the page as adult-level bullying.
Chappell said fair organizers did not know who administers the Facebook page, the report said.
The page began on Facebook in August 2013.
The 2014 Iowa State Fair ends August 17.