FOLLOW US

Facebook announced its decision prohibiting content praising, supporting, and representing white nationalism and white separatism on its social media platforms.

Next week, Facebook and Instagram will start enforcing the ban and will delete users’ post and comments reinforcing white nationalism or white separatism.

The company is already blocking contents about white supremacy on its social media platforms.

Facebook is “standing against hate”

In a blog post, Facebook explained that its move is part of its commitment to prevent the spread of hate in its platforms.

The social media giant wrote, “Our policies have long prohibited hateful treatment of people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity or religion — and that has always included white supremacy. We didn’t originally apply the same rationale to expressions of white nationalism and separatism because we were thinking about broader concepts of nationalism and separatism — things like American pride and Basque separatism, which are an important part of people’s identity.”

“But over the past three months our conversations with members of civil society and academics who are experts in race relations around the world have confirmed that white nationalism and separatism cannot be meaningfully separated from white supremacy and organized hate groups.”

Additionally, Facebook said it will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to find content from terrorists groups. The company is already using the same tools in detecting posts from white supremacists.

Furthermore, the social media giant said it will begin connecting people searching for terms associated with white supremacy to organizations such as Life after Hate.

Recent racist violence and attempted attack by white nationalists

Facebook’s decision comes nearly two weeks after a self-proclaimed white nationalist killed 50 people and injured at least 50 others in two mosques in New Zealand. The shooter streamed his acts of violence live on Facebook.

Last month, federal prosecutors charged a Maryland Coast Guard liutenant, who identified himself as a white nationalist and a domestic terrorist, of planning to murder prominent politicians and members of the media.

The shooter in New Zealand and the domestic terrorist in Maryland shares a similar ideas and sentiments in their writings. They hate non-white people, whom they consider as invaders, and they are willing to commit racist violence.