Facebook Bans Large Segment of Boogaloo Movement--2nd Update
June 30 2020 - 5:11PM
Dow Jones News
By David Uberti and Rachael Levy
Facebook Inc. has classified a large segment of the boogaloo
movement as a dangerous organization and banned it from its
network, in the tech company's broadest move yet against the
group.
The company said in a blog post it removed more than 300
Facebook and Instagram accounts and 106 groups tied to a
boogaloo-affiliated network "that actively seeks to commit
violence." The removals came alongside an additional takedown of
400 groups and 100 pages that hosted content broadly supportive of
the boogaloo movement.
Composed mostly of young white males who often call themselves
"boogaloo bois," the loose-knit movement grew its ranks in recent
years on social media, including Facebook.
Its adherents views' are wide-ranging, with a focus on
overturning authority, according to researchers who track extremist
organizations. Some have supported antiracism protests against
police brutality in recent months, but others are white
supremacists who hold antigovernment views, believe strongly in gun
rights and traffic in conspiracy theories, researchers said.
The movement appears to have no leader or central structure.
Facebook's ban on Tuesday comes after some employees staged a
virtual walkout in early June over the decision to leave up a post
about nationwide demonstrations by President Trump that said, "When
the looting starts, the shooting starts." Civil rights groups have
since criticized Facebook over its approach to hate speech, while
several corporations, including Verizon Communications Inc. and
Coca-Cola Co., pulled advertising from the platform in protest.
Facebook removed the boogaloo accounts after a targeted
investigation by human analysts, officials said. The social-media
giant has increasingly turned to the tactic to assess networks that
actively try to avoid its automated tools to monitor content.
(More to Come)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 30, 2020 16:56 ET (20:56 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Coca Cola (NYSE:KO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Coca Cola (NYSE:KO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024