New York (CNN Business) Facebook announced Thursday afternoon that it had designated some high-profile people, including Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who's notorious for using anti-Semitic language, and right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, as "dangerous" and said it will be purging them from its platforms.
Facebook FB Jones and his media outlet InfoWars had previously been banned fromin August 2018, but had maintained a presence on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. On Thursday, Jones and InfoWars will be barred from Instagram as well.
Other people banned on Thursday included Paul Nehlen, an anti-Semite who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2016 and 2018, and fringe right-wing media personalities Laura Loomer, Milo Yiannopoulos and Paul Joseph Watson.
"We've always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN Business. "The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today."
A Facebook spokesperson told CNN Business the company goes through a lengthy process and takes into consideration a number of factors before determining an individual to be "dangerous."
LootGate on May 2nd, 2019 at 19:28 UTC »
Facebook should take a leadership position and ban itself as it's more dangerous to our culture than unshielded Plutonium.
mattreyu on May 2nd, 2019 at 18:49 UTC »
Now to ban anti-vax mom groups that tell you to heal your kids with breast milk, essential oils, and hanging onions around the house.
Mish61 on May 2nd, 2019 at 18:42 UTC »
Delete your Facebook. Liberate yourself.