QAnon Groups Hit By Facebook Crack Down

[ancianita]

Source: NBC News

Facebook on Wednesday banned about 900 pages and groups and 1,500 ads tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, part of a sweeping action that also restricted the reach of over 10,000 Instagram pages and almost 2,000 Facebook groups pushing the baseless conspiracy theory that has spawned real-world violence.

Facebook also took down thousands of accounts, pages and groups as part of what they called a “policy expansion,” seeking to limit violent rhetoric tied to QAnon, political militias and protest groups like antifa.

QAnon, militia movements and violent movements tied to protests will now no longer be allowed to purchase ads on Facebook. QAnon ads, which often pushed merchandise, were allowed on the platform before Wednesday’s announcement.

Facebook will now downrank QAnon, militia and anarchist protest groups on users’ News Feeds and in Facebook and Instagram’s search engines. The groups and accounts will no longer be featured in the “recommendations” sidebar on similar pages. The new ban will also prohibit fundraising based on hashtags related to these movements on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/qanon-groups-hit-facebook-crack-down-n1237330

---

Trump's campaign is also not able to reach its base through all those QAnons and their 'adjacents.'

[DFW]

1. Sounds like FB saw a poll

The Biden administration will not look kindly on their participation in incitement to violence.

[ancianita]

5. Maybe, but FB's been working with the FBI for years to help it investigate threats.

Its info helped the FBI and police arrest the Vegas boogaloos recently.

FB has a long law enforcement history helping the FBI.

[Roy Rolling]

2. "Downrank"

Zuckers Suckers are already damaged. There is no “new crop” of younger, smarter Facebook users. Too little, too late to repair the overwhelming damage Facebook has done to free thought, discussion, and legal political exchange.

I have zero empathy for Facebook, nor give them credit for announcing, to effect, they’ll close the barn door after they’re sure there are no more horses remaining to escape.

[ancianita]

6. This isn't about Facebook.This is about Qanon using a platform to cry "fire" in the public theater.

If it weren't for social media platforms, House Democrats wouldn't have known the public's issues with the stealth crippling of the Post Office.

[oldsoftie]

3. About damn time. Sick of hearing so much bullshit from 9/11 to sex trafficking.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "Facebook will now downrank QAnon, militia and anarchist protest groups"

This goes to show that they were apparently purposely "upranking" that bullshit to pop up all over facebook. The damage is already done.

[ancianita]

7. A good thing.

Eliminating all ads is another. They've gotten too fat from the gullibility of a beaten down public whose attention drives ad buy. So damage has gone the other way, too.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. I'm not a facebook user (no account)

but have had to go there on occasion when organizations and municipalities insist on using it for info and/or live streaming of their meetings.

The ads are (or at least were) their original business model, but once they were listed on any of the stock exchanges, then the damn ad model for revenue should have been removed altogether... Of all the things that made the media's constant drumbeat of "this is a divided nation", a self-fulfilling prophesy, was the distribution and amplification of hate through false political advertising.

I guess I can dream.