The social network has already removed protest messages in California, New Jersey and Nebraska.
Facebook is blocking anti-quarantine protesters from using the site to organize in-person gatherings that violate states’ stay-at-home orders — a move that had brought an immediate backlash from conservatives including President Donald Trump’s eldest son.
The world’s largest social network has removed protest messages in California, New Jersey and Nebraska from its site, a company spokesperson said Monday, after days of rallies across state capitals where protesters — many carrying pro-Trump signs — called for an end to the health restrictions.
The spokesperson said Facebook had been instructed by those state governments that the events are prohibited under the lockdown and social distancing orders that authorities have issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We reached out to state officials to understand the scope of their orders, not about removing specific protests on Facebook,” a company spokesperson said. “We remove the posts when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful.”
The statement followed confusion over whether states had instructed Facebook to remove the protests from its platform. Earlier Monday, a spokesperson said that “events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook” and had been removed following guidance from individual states.
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Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) were among the conservatives blasting Facebook over its decision.
“Why is @Facebook colluding with state governments to quash peoples free speech?” tweeted Trump Jr., who has joined other supporters of the president in accusing Silicon Valley social media companies of suppressing conservative messaging. “Regardless of what you think about the lockdowns or the protests against them, this is a chilling & disturbing government directed shutdown of peoples 1st Amendment rights. Very dangerous!”
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- Discussion
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Facebook is blocking anti-quarantine protesters from using the site to organize in-person gatherings in states that require residents to stay in their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/Tnvm6IYpgo
— POLITICO (@politico) April 20, 2020
Facebook has removed protest messages in California, New Jersey and Nebraska from its site after days of rallies across state capitals where protesters called for an end to coronavirus health restrictionshttps://t.co/EtK2IAJHmS pic.twitter.com/fwXXNui8Wj
— POLITICO (@politico) April 20, 2020
Important: I talked to Facebook, and reports that they will remove all lockdown protests are fake news based on misquoting of Zuckerberg. "Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook," FB tells @reason https://t.co/AxWmXJkpI1
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) April 20, 2020
Once again, I will remind everyone that if you live by Facebook as your organizing and advocacy tool, you will die by Facebook as your organizing and advocacy tool.
They're a business. You're the product and they're not letting your dumb idea expose them to liability. https://t.co/06nRixpIXl
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 20, 2020
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