Facebook boots far-right 'Proud Boys' for hate content

Date created : 31/10/2018 - 20:00

"In this case, we're in the process of removing The Proud Boys and Gavin McInnes from Facebook and Instagram in line with our policies against hate organizations and figures," a Facebook spokeswoman told AFP AFP/File

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San Francisco (AFP)

Facebook on Wednesday said it was removing accounts associated with far-right group "The Proud Boys" and its founder Gavin McInnes for hate speech that violates the social network's policies.

"In this case, we're in the process of removing The Proud Boys and Gavin McInnes from Facebook and Instagram in line with our policies against hate organizations and figures," a spokeswoman told AFP.

The crackdown came slightly more than two weeks after members of the group reportedly attacked and beat activists protesting at an event in Manhattan. It also follows the massacre of 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue -- the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history.

The killings triggered criticism that Republican President Donald Trump is stirring up hatred and encouraging far-right extremism with heated rhetoric.

Twitter suspended accounts of "The Proud Boys" and McInnes in August.

Internet giants Apple, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and Twitter last month purged accounts of far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site.