This Thursday afternoon, Facebook announced that it had banned a number of prominent figures in conservative media from all social media platforms owned by the tech giant.
InfoWars founder Alex Jones and conservative media personalities Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson, and Laura Loomer have all been booted from the platform. Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the black nationalist Nation of Islam movement, also was banned.
The social media company headed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a public announcement on Thursday that it removed the accounts, fan pages, and group pages associated with these individuals from Facebook and Instagram after reexamining their content and activities on and off these platforms.
Alex Jones and his media outfit Infowars were banned from Facebook last August but had still maintained a presence of Instagram – a social media platform that’s also owned by Facebook. On Thursday, Facebook declared that Jones and Infowars would also be removed from Instagram.
In a statement given to Fox News, Facebook said, “We’ve always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology. The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today.”
A few of these individuals who fell under Facebook’s guidelines against ‘dangerous’ individuals and organizations, reacted to the ban on their respective accounts during the period of time between when Facebook officially announced the ban and when they actually deleted the accounts. On her Instagram, Laura Loomer rejected the notion that she at any time had violated the company’s terms of service, and appealed for people to follow her on a different platform, adding, “Looks like you guys will probably never hear from me again.”
Yiannopoulos also published a final post on Instagram.”
Paul Joseph Watson took to Twitter – a platform which he has yet to be banned from – to write, “In an authoritarian society controlled by a handful of Silicon Valley giants, all dissent must be purged.”
Yiannopoulos also published a final post on Instagram. He mentioned that Laura Loomer was making “thinly veiled suicide threats because of the way she has been treated” and encouraged her friends to check on her.
Apparently, Facebook executives had been holding discussions as to whether they should label these individuals as ‘dangerous’ and ban Alex Jones and InfoWars for some time before actually pulling the trigger.
Business Insider obtained email correspondences between Facebook executives who argued about whether or not they should scrub these people’s accounts.
At the time these things were being discussed, a Facebook spokesperson told CNN Business, “As this email correspondence shows, we continually monitor and review whether people are involved in organized hate on our platform. We’ve already taken down InfoWars’ Facebook Page, but Alex Jones has a network of presences online and we are evaluating how to appropriately enforce our policies against him as an individual. We’re committed to being diligent and will share an update when that process has run its course.”
Following the bans, Twitter saw a burst of outrage from conservatives and moderates alike who deemed the actions as evidence of blatant censorship ahead of the U.S. 2020 elections.
From what i have learned over the years is that FACE BOOK considers any person with conservative views and beliefs to be dangerous , Liberals are given a free pass to say what they want
I don’t use facebook, you can post anywhere
on the internet, I don’t see why facebook
Thinks it’s a goody for all when they spy on
you every chance they get.
As far as people getting kicked off just because of political views, well I don’t really
think it’s a worry, because who cares….
It’s good they were banned. They push hate speech which we dont need because our so called president does the same thing.
I have also been banned.
Michael W. Jarvis
Why do we not have a Conservative platform to communicate on? Are there not enough conservatives?
Fox was a one time Conservative, still is to some extent, but it creeps Left. Is that Ideology or dollars?
Censorship is starting
Hey, everyone Take down all of your accounts and put Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and ALL the others NOW and put them out of business. They are hateful, violent socialists and need to be put down!
I was ban from Facebook for calling out a Muslim from my state for lying to get elected. Facebook loves Muslims hates Americans. Mark needs to lose Facebook . He a little brown shirt puppet.
Facebook is using their platform to interfere with the 2020 elections. They are directing their political beliefs to help their political agenda. They are a socialist company which will hurt them in the end, morons. These people are not making threats to burt someone, they are telling uninformed people about the news without lies.
I have been BANNED………………..
With the exception of Farrakhan, all banned individuals are conservatives. Some maybe a little over zealous. Why not go after more libs (namely 3 women legislators) and various terrorist I Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey? I rebel rousing terrorist should be banned too.
I was banned from Breibart without warning or explanation, presumably because I made pro Christian comments.
I am shocked and disappointed by the banning of popular and interesting journalists and personalities who have a conservative point of view. It is a sad day in America when Our First Amendment Rights are violated by Business Owners Who Hold An Opposing Political View. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO “EQUAL TIME” ? Of course we know that there is the insidious DOUBLE STANDARD and that most of the mainstream media are of the same political position. WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? As for violence, I’m unaware of encitement to violence from any but FARRAKHAN. Good Move Banning Him! But Not The Others.
Socialism has arrive.