‘Dangerous individuals’: Facebook bans far-right figures over hate speech
Facebook is banning several far-right figures it has labelled “dangerous individuals” in an attempt to quell the spread of hate speech across its platform.
The social network said former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos, Info Wars host Alex Jones, and Info Wars’ UK editor Paul Joseph Watson are all excluded from the site.
Read more: Nothing but the truth: Inside Facebook's UK fact-checking war room
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has aired antisemitic views, will also be banned in a block that extends to Facebook’s Instagram network.
White supremacist Paul Nehlen and anti-Islamic speaker Laura Loomer have also been banned.
“We've always banned individuals or organisations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
“The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts.”
Facebook came under fire for telling some media outlets of the ban before enacting it, enabling those about to be banned to direct fans to their other online presences.
Alex Jones was telling Instagram followers about the ban yesterday, writing: “I’m about to be banned. Please sign up for my mailing list before this account disappears.”
Jones was banned from Facebook for 30 days last year and is permanently banned from Twitter, but has stayed active on Instagram.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones urged supporters to sign up to his mailing list before the Facebook ban took effect (Source: Getty)
Facebook referred to Jones’ use of dehumanising language towards transgender people, Muslims and immigrants, as well as the glorification of violence.
Facebook’s decision to ban Jones was fuelled in part by his decision to host racist group Proud Boys leader Gavin McInnes, which the social network has designated a “hate figure”.
Yiannopoulos has publicly praised both McInnes and EDL leader Tommy Robinson, who have both been banned from Facebook.
Loomer appeared with McInnes, and also praised and supported Faith Goldy, a Canadian banned from Facebook.
Farrakhan has been banned for several antisemitic remarks made this year.
Social media giants have faced political pressure to take a tougher stance on hate speech on their sites.
Last month Facebook extended its hate speech ban to block white nationalists, while Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey has confessed his platform must “do a better job generally in removing hate and harassment”.
However, last month videos of the New Zealand Christchurch shootings that killed 50 people emerged on social media, with a gunman livestreaming it all to Facebook.