Facebook bans some QAnon groups and accounts, lets others stay
4 years, 4 months ago

Facebook bans some QAnon groups and accounts, lets others stay

LA Times  

A person holding up a Q sign with an American flag pattern waits to enter a Trump campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in 2018. Facebook Inc. says it will restrict the right-wing conspiracy movement QAnon and no longer recommend that users join groups supporting it, although the social media giant isn’t banning it outright. Facebook said Wednesday that it is banning groups and accounts associated with QAnon and a variety of U.S. militia and anarchist groups that support violence. As a result of the policy changes, Facebook says it has removed more than 790 groups, 100 pages and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon on the Facebook platform and has blocked more than 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram. Facebook said it is not banning QAnon outright because the group does not meet criteria necessary for the platform to designate it a “dangerous organization.” But it is expanding this policy to address the movement because it has “demonstrated significant risks to public safety.”

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History of this topic

Facebook bans German accounts under new ‘social harm’ policy
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook bans German accounts under new ‘social harm’ policy

Associated Press  

Facebook removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to anti-lockdown demonstrators in Germany, the company announced Thursday, under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but who don’t fit into the platform’s existing categories of bad actors. The action is the first under Facebook’s new policy focused on preventing “coordinated social harm,” which company officials …

QAnon has receded from social media -- but it’s just hiding
3 years, 5 months ago

QAnon has receded from social media -- but it’s just hiding

Associated Press  

On the face of it, you might think that the QAnon conspiracy has largely disappeared from big social media sites. Where Facebook groups once openly referenced QAnon, you’ll now see others like “Since you missed this in the so called MSM,” a page referencing “mainstream media” that boasts more than 4,000 followers. “There was a very, very explicit effort within …

QAnon moves into the shadows but movement remains active
3 years, 5 months ago

QAnon moves into the shadows but movement remains active

Al Jazeera  

Social media platforms have removed thousands of accounts associated with QAnon, so users are changing their tactics. “There was a very, very explicit effort within the QAnon community to camouflage their language,” said Angelo Carusone, the president and CEO of Media Matters, a liberal research group that has followed QAnon’s rise. But the social giant will still cut individuals posting …

QAnon content "evaporated" online following post-Jan. 6 social media crackdown, study finds
3 years, 6 months ago

QAnon content "evaporated" online following post-Jan. 6 social media crackdown, study finds

Salon  

New social media policies meant to limit the spread of QAnon conspiracies online appear to be working, new research shows. The study, conducted by the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Lab, found that QAnon conspiracy-related phrases "evaporated" from both mainstream and alternative social media sites, like Parler and Gab, following high-profile moderation efforts from companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter. In …

Report: Extremist groups thrive on Facebook despite bans
3 years, 9 months ago

Report: Extremist groups thrive on Facebook despite bans

Associated Press  

A new outside report found that Facebook has allowed groups — many tied to QAnon, boogaloo and militia movements — to glorify violence during the 2020 election and in the weeks leading up to the deadly riots on the U.S. Capitol in January. But despite what Avaaz called “clear violations” of Facebook’s policies, it found that 119 of these pages …

Unwelcome On Facebook And Twitter, QAnon Followers Flock To Fringe Sites
3 years, 10 months ago

Unwelcome On Facebook And Twitter, QAnon Followers Flock To Fringe Sites

NPR  

Unwelcome On Facebook And Twitter, QAnon Followers Flock To Fringe Sites Enlarge this image toggle caption Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Stephanie Keith/Getty Images January brought a one-two punch that should have knocked out the fantastical, false QAnon conspiracy theory. When NPR and Ipsos polled people about whether they believe QAnon's core false claim — that "a group of Satan-worshipping elites who …

QAnon | Riding the ‘infodemic’ wave
4 years ago

QAnon | Riding the ‘infodemic’ wave

The Hindu  

More than one month since presidential elections were held in the U.S., incumbent President Donald Trump has refused to concede his loss to Joe Biden despite the fact that the latter has clearly secured 306 Electoral College votes and 51.3% of the popular vote. COVID-19 is not the only viral threat that has engulfed the U.S.; the misinformation “infodemic” — …

Facebook to Ban Groups to Curb Misinformation if Multiple Posts Violate Content Guidelines
4 years, 1 month ago

Facebook to Ban Groups to Curb Misinformation if Multiple Posts Violate Content Guidelines

News 18  

In a bid to curb the spread of misinformation on its platform, Facebook has reportedly decided to track down and impose restrictions on groups that repeatedly allow misleading and incorrect posts to be published within them. As part of its efforts, Facebook will first identify groups that have a tendency to spread misinformation and fake news among their members, and …

Patreon follows Facebook, Twitter in Qanon crackdown
4 years, 2 months ago

Patreon follows Facebook, Twitter in Qanon crackdown

LA Times  

A man holding a Q sign waits in line to enter a rally for President Trump in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The company announced in a blog post that it would be taking action against accounts who use its platform to actively spread QAnon’s beliefs. The post detailed how “QAnon-dedicated creators that are identified by our Policy and Trust & Safety teams …

AP Explains: What’s behind Trump’s town hall answer on QAnon
4 years, 2 months ago

AP Explains: What’s behind Trump’s town hall answer on QAnon

Associated Press  

“Ask the Q” has been a rallying cry for QAnon believers since the conspiracy theory’s online birth three years ago. Many QAnon followers believe thousands of deep state operatives and top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, will be rounded up and sent to Guantanamo Bay during an event called “The Storm.” In May 2019, an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that …

YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown
4 years, 2 months ago

YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown

The Hindu  

YouTube is following the lead of Twitter and Facebook, saying that it is taking more steps to limit QAnon and other baseless conspiracy theories that can lead to real-world violence. It said it would remove pages, groups and Instagram accounts for representing QAnon — even if they don’t promote violence. Facebook’s move came two months after it announced softer crackdown, …

YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown
4 years, 2 months ago

YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown

Associated Press  

OAKLAND, Calif. — YouTube is following the lead of Twitter and Facebook, saying that it is taking more steps to limit QAnon and other baseless conspiracy theories that can lead to real-world violence. Facebook’s move came two months after it announced softer crackdown, saying said it would stop promoting the group and its adherents. “All of this work has been …

Facebook bans all QAnon groups as dangerous amid surging misinformation
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook bans all QAnon groups as dangerous amid surging misinformation

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc on Tuesday classified the QAnon conspiracy theory movement as dangerous and began removing Facebook groups and pages as well as Instagram accounts that hold themselves out as representatives. The step escalates an August policy that banned a third of QAnon groups for promoting violence while allowing most to stay, albeit with content appearing less often in news feeds. …

Right-wing QAnon conspiracy theorists see their pages banned across all Facebook platforms
4 years, 2 months ago

Right-wing QAnon conspiracy theorists see their pages banned across all Facebook platforms

Salon  

Facebook announced on Tuesday that it is banning QAnon content across its platforms, an action that it characterizes as part of a larger effort to stop "Militarized Social Movements" from recruiting people through their social media sites. "Starting today, we will remove any Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts representing QAnon, even if they contain no violent content," Facebook explained …

Facebook completely bans conspiracy group QAnon on all its services
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook completely bans conspiracy group QAnon on all its services

India Today  

Facebook is cracking down on groups, themes, and accounts that represent the QAnon movement. Facebook’s first attempt to restrict such accounts came in August when it removed around 1500 QAnon accounts and groups for showing potential violence. "We’ve been vigilant in enforcing our policy and studying its impact on the platform but we’ve seen several issues that led to today’s …

Facebook says it will ban groups that openly support QAnon
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook says it will ban groups that openly support QAnon

Associated Press  

OAKLAND, Calif. — Facebook said it will ban groups that openly support QAnon, the baseless conspiracy theory that paints President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities and “deep state” government officials. The company said Tuesday that it will remove Facebook pages, groups and Instagram accounts for “representing QAnon” — even if they …

Facebook institutes sweeping ban on QAnon. Will it work?
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook institutes sweeping ban on QAnon. Will it work?

LA Times  

In this Aug. 2, 2018 photo, David Reinert holding a Q sign waits in line with others to enter a campaign rally with President Trump in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. In a Tuesday blog post, Facebook said that although QAnon posts may not directly promote violence, they are often nonetheless linked to “different forms of real world harm.” The company cited a …

Facebook bans all QAnon groups as dangerous
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook bans all QAnon groups as dangerous

Al Jazeera  

Company begins removing Facebook groups, pages and Instagram accounts associated with the conspiracy theory movement. Facebook has classified the QAnon conspiracy theory movement as dangerous and began removing Facebook groups and pages as well as Instagram accounts that hold themselves out as representatives. Since the August restrictions, some QAnon groups have added members, and others used coded language to evade …

Facebook, Twitter flounder in QAnon crackdown
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook, Twitter flounder in QAnon crackdown

The Hindu  

Facebook and Twitter promised to stop encouraging the growth of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon, which fashions President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities and government officials, after it reached an audience of millions on their platforms this year. But the social media companies still aren’t enforcing even the limited restrictions they’ve …

Facebook, Twitter flounder in QAnon crackdown
4 years, 2 months ago

Facebook, Twitter flounder in QAnon crackdown

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Facebook and Twitter promised to stop encouraging the growth of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon, which fashions President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities and government officials, after it reached an audience of millions on their platforms this year. One post that used the QAnon hashtag, which raked up nearly …

Op-Ed: Facebook drove QAnon’s mad growth and enhanced its power to poison elections
4 years, 2 months ago

Op-Ed: Facebook drove QAnon’s mad growth and enhanced its power to poison elections

LA Times  

A supporter of QAnon conspiracy theory at a rally for President Trump in 2018. Internet platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube and Twitter have provided the algorithmic amplification to drive QAnon from the fringes into the mainstream. When Trump posts a message on Twitter and Facebook that implies support for QAnon, algorithms give it maximum reach because it grabs …

Russian-backed organisations amplify QAnon conspiracy theories
4 years, 4 months ago

Russian-backed organisations amplify QAnon conspiracy theories

Al Jazeera  

Researchers believe the Kremlin is highlighting a conspiracy theory that Trump is battling satanic politicians. In 2019, the Internet Research Agency, a Russian “troll factory” indicted by Robert Mueller in his election interference prosecution, sent a high volume of tweets tagged with #QAnon and the movement slogan #WWG1WGA, short for Where We Go One, We Go All, said Melanie Smith, …

After Twitter, Facebook removes hundreds of QAnon groups
4 years, 4 months ago

After Twitter, Facebook removes hundreds of QAnon groups

Op India  

On Wednesday, the social media giant Facebook in a controversial decision removed around 800 QAnon groups for posts that allegedly ‘celebrated violence’ and showed ‘intent to use weapons’ or try to attract followers with ‘patterns of violent behaviour’. Facebook had removed nearly 800 QAnon conspiracy groups for posts celebrating violence, showing intent to use weapons, or attracting followers with patterns …

Facebook bans some, but not all, QAnon groups and accounts
4 years, 4 months ago

Facebook bans some, but not all, QAnon groups and accounts

Associated Press  

OAKLAND, Calif. — Facebook said it will restrict the right-wing conspiracy movement QAnon and will no longer recommend that users join groups supporting it, although the company isn’t banning it outright. Twitter announced a similar crackdown recently and TikTok has banned QAnon altogether from its searches, along with related terms such as “WWG1WGA,” shorthand for the group’s motto “Where We …

Twitter says it will permanently suspend accounts tweeting about conspiracy theory group QAnon
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter says it will permanently suspend accounts tweeting about conspiracy theory group QAnon

Firstpost  

Twitter said it would not serve content and accounts associated with QAnon in trends and recommendations. Twitter Inc said on Tuesday it would permanently suspend accounts that violate its policies while tweeting about QAnon, a fringe group that claims “deep-state” traitors are plotting against President Donald Trump. Twitter, which announced the change on its Twitter Safety page, said it would …

Twitter says it’s cracking down on QAnon conspiracy theory
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter says it’s cracking down on QAnon conspiracy theory

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — Twitter says it is cracking down on accounts and content related to QAnon, the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among supporters of President Donald Trump. Accounts that are “engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension” will be suspended permanently, Twitter said. The QAnon conspiracy …

Twitter cracks down on QAnon conspiracy theory movement banning 7000 accounts
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter cracks down on QAnon conspiracy theory movement banning 7000 accounts

India Today  

Twitter has permanently suspended nearly 7000 accounts of far right-wing conspiracy theory movement QAnon from its platform. "We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension — something we’ve seen more of in recent weeks," Twitter …

Twitter suspends accounts linked to QAnon conspiracy theory group
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter suspends accounts linked to QAnon conspiracy theory group

Al Jazeera  

Twitter algorithm will not highlight sites and tweets associated with the pro-Trump group’s websites and accounts. Twitter has removed more than 7,000 accounts linked to the QAnon informal group over abuse and harassment concerns, saying it will limit the spread of conspiracy theories by its supporters. “We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has …

Twitter Removes Thousands Of QAnon Accounts, Promises Sweeping Ban On The Conspiracy
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter Removes Thousands Of QAnon Accounts, Promises Sweeping Ban On The Conspiracy

NPR  

Twitter Removes Thousands Of QAnon Accounts, Promises Sweeping Ban On The Conspiracy Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP Jeff Chiu/AP Twitter said on Tuesday it has removed more than 7,000 accounts associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory, a loose group of online provocateurs who support President Trump and spread absurd claims about forces supposedly attempting to topple the president. …

Twitter takes down 7,000 accounts linked to QAnon
4 years, 5 months ago

Twitter takes down 7,000 accounts linked to QAnon

CNN  

CNN Business — Twitter has removed thousands of accounts linked to QAnon, a group known for spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation online. “In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called ‘QAnon’ activity across the service.” More than 7,000 accounts have been removed in the last several weeks, according to Twitter. “We will continue to …

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