Stop objectifying women on Facebook

It is alarming that under the guise of journalism, fake news pages on Facebook are objectifying women for engagement and profit. A recent investigation by this daily found at least 30 Facebook pages posting reels that rely on selective framing, zoom-ins, slow motion, and decontextualised visuals to sexualise actresses, academics, politicians, and other women. Such practices violate ethical standards and contribute to a digital culture that normalises harassment and misogyny. Many of these pages also identify themselves as “media/news company” despite having no registration as legitimate media outlets. This raises a serious question: how are such pages allowed to operate on Facebook?

For instance, a page called Daily Biplobi Kantho, with more than 72,000 followers, posted 20 videos of actress Keya Payel, which were made ignoring her objections and focused unnecessarily on her body. Similar tactics were used against Dhaka University teacher Shehreen Amin Bhuiyan during Pahela Baishakh celebrations. In these cases, women were not presented as individuals with voices, professions, or achievements, but as content for online engagement. Some administrators reportedly admitted that the strategy is driven by monetisation. While one such page listed a physical office address in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar, our reporter on a visit found no organisation under that name.

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Media experts warn that repeated exposure to such body-focused portrayals reinforces harmful perceptions about women and fuels online abuse, including trolling, stalking, and sexual harassment. The comment sections under these videos further show how such content encourages degrading and offensive behaviour. Although Meta’s policies prohibit non-consensual or sexualised imagery focused on intimate or commonly sexualised body parts, such videos continue to circulate widely, pointing to weak enforcement in countries like ours.

Under such circumstances, both regulators and technology companies must act more decisively. Facebook and other digital platforms should strengthen monitoring of such pages and enforce community standards consistently. Pages that violate privacy and dignity for engagement should face swift removal of content, demonetisation, and account restrictions. The government must also enforce existing laws, including Section 509 of the Penal Code, against those using cameras and social media platforms to humiliate women and vulnerable individuals for profit, while strengthening cyber laws to address digital exploitation and misleading media representation.

Unregistered pages using “news” labels must also be brought under proper oversight, with faster reporting and takedown systems through coordination between platforms and law enforcement agencies. Greater digital literacy is needed so users can recognise manipulative content practices and challenge the culture of misogyny that fuels them. Online spaces must not become places where women are routinely exploited for clicks and profit.