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Image Source: Shutterstock
Summary
- In a recent blog post, Facebook said it would be removing all ‘Stop the Steal’ related posts, pages, and groups on its platform.
- “Stop the Steal’ is a common term that is used by pro-Trump individuals who staged violent protests in Washington DC, which resulted in five fatalities.
- Facebook, as well as other social media giants, will continue removing controversial posts at least until Inauguration Day to protect US democracy.
Facebook announced it would remove all posts on its platform involving ‘Stop the Steal’ reference as part of precautionary measures in the run up to the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden.
The phrase ‘Stop the Steal’ is widely used by Trump supporters who believe in the incumbent president’s election fraud allegations. It is also mentioned in conversations about inciting violence as a sign of protest against Joe Biden.
The above-mentioned ban comes in the wake of violent Washington DC protests by Trump supporters, that ended in five fatalities.
Notably, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already slapped a temporary ban on Donald Trump, prohibiting from posting on his Facebook account for at least two weeks.
According to Mr Zuckerberg and most other social media leaders, Trump’s posts may prove to be a huge threat ahead of the Inauguration Day, when President-elect Joe Biden will officially kick off his presidency.
Apart from banning Mr Trump’s posts temporarily, Facebook also disclosed that it would not release any advertisements concerning political matter during the transition period.
Facebook has been removing controversial election-related content since November 2020, when most of the election conspiracy theories began to swirl.
Many Trump supporters are also pro-QAnon conspiracy theory. (Image Source: Shutterstock)
DO READ: What is QAnon?
Assuring that it would continue to ratchet up the removal of “Stop the Steal” references, the social media giant said:
Facebook COO Sherly Sandberg asserted that that conspiracy theorists and rioters had been using social media platforms other than Facebook to spread the word to incite violence. She added that Facebook had been actively removing any objectionable content related to QAnon, ‘Stop the Steal’ phrase, and Proud Boys.
Which other companies removed related content?
Apart from Mr Zuckerberg’s social media, other providers joined the cause by removing violence-related posts.
RELATED: Twitter, Facebook banning US President Trump, is it because of a power shift?
Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram have also implemented restrictions and bans for Mr Trump and his supporters in response to five civilian deaths during protests at the White House.
E-commerce platforms such as Shopify, have also joined the show by removing Mr Trump’s online businesses selling MAGA merchandise.
DID YOU READ: Shopify bans Trump-affiliated stores after Capital turmoil
Facebook’s Integrity Operations Centre will be operating 24/7 on an increased staff, at least until Inauguration Day.
Meanwhile, the concerns remain high as the FBI has warned of armed riots’ threat in 50 states in the upcoming days.
