INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Facebook is moving to ban the Proud Boys, a far-right men organization with ties to white supremacist groups
Business Insider first reported the decision
Facebook confirmed the decision to ban the Proud Boys from Facebook and Instagram to TechCrunch, indicating that the group (and presumably
its leader Gavin McInnes) now meet the company definition of a hate organization or figure.
Facebook provided the following statement:
&Our
team continues to study trends in organized hate and hate speech and works with partners to better understand hate organizations as they
We ban these organizations and individuals from our platforms and also remove all praise and support when we become aware of it
We will continue to review content, Pages, and people that violate our policies, take action against hate speech and hate organizations to
help keep our community safe.&
Facebook policy on white supremacy plays right into a racist agenda
Even compared to other groups on the
far right with online origins, the Proud Boys maximize their impact through social networking
The organization, founded by provocateur and Vice founder McInnes, relies on Facebook as its primary recruitment tool
As we reported in August, the Proud Boys operate a surprisingly sophisticated network for getting new members into the fold via many local
and regional Facebook groups
All of it relies on Facebook — the Proud Boys homepage even links out to the web of Facebook groups to guide potential recruits toward
next steps.
At the time of writing, Facebook ban appeared to affect some Proud Boys groups and not others
The profile of Proud Boys founder McInnes appears to still be functional
Facebook decision to act against the organization is likely tied to the recent arrest of five Proud Boys members in New York City on charges
including assault, criminal possession of a weapon and gang assault.
Facebook is the recruiting tool of choice for far-right group the
