Facebook has promised to strengthen the enforcement of its rules on posting graphic content after controversy erupted over violent videos on the social network.

But graphic images and videos will still be permitted on the site if users sharing them to condemn the acts or raise awareness were doing so “in a responsible manner”.

The site came under fire earlier this week after it refused to remove graphic content that showed beheadings that had been posted on Facebook.

In a statement, the social network said it had removed some content after it re-examined recent reports of graphic content and came to the conclusion that it “improperly and irresponsibly glorifies violence”.

That breaks Facebook’s community standards, which state “graphic images shared for sadistic effect or to celebrate or glorify violence have no place on our site.”

In future, Facebook said it would remove content that celebrates violence and take a more “holistic look” at the context of a video or image. It will also consider if the content is being shared responsibly, it said, such as including warnings and sharing only with age appropriate audiences.

“When people share this type of graphic content, it is often to condemn it. If it is being shared for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate violence, Facebook removes it,” the company said.

“Going forward, we ask that people who share graphic content for the purpose of condemning it do so in a responsible manner, carefully selecting their audience and warning them about the nature of the content so they can make an informed choice about it.”