Facebook removes 800 QAnon conspiracy groups for posts celebrating violence

The world’s largest social media network, Facebook on August 19 said they had removed around 800 QAnon conspiracy groups for posting violence, encouraging the use of weapons and attracting users towards violence. Social media giant commenting on QAnon said Facebook is expanding its policy on online public safety and imposed restrictions on the remaining 1,950 public and private QAnon groups it could find on Facebook. It will make QAnon related stuff less likely to be discovered by the users in searches. Taking action on right-wing and left-wing groups, Facebook removed 980 groups encouraging violence and rioting on the platform.

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In a statement published on their website, Facebook said, “today we are taking action against Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts tied to offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organizations and QAnon”.

This is not the first time somebody is taking action on QAnon, previously micro-blogging site Twitter removed thousands of QAnon accounts. The long-awaited move came by Facebook after the activities of QAnon increased on the platform this year. Last week, Marjorie Tyler Greene, a House candidate who openly supports QAnon, won her Republican primary in Georgia. She's part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon. Lauren Boebert, another candidate who has expressed support for QAnon, recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado.

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What QAnon believes

The conspiracy theory of QAnon is based on non-factual beliefs which state US President Donald Trump will start a secret campaign against enemies in the deep state and will bust a child trafficking ring run by evil pedophiles and cannibals. For more than two years followers of QAnon conspiracy have poured twisted clues purportedly posted online by a high-ranking government official known only as “Q.”

According to the media report, this conspiracy theory came into existence in the dark corner of the internet, but recently jumped into mainstream US politics, before the Presidential elections. President Trump has shared tweets relating to QAnon and promoted accounts and users related to this theory.

(With inputs from agency)

Read Facebook Bans Some, But Not All, QAnon Groups, Accounts

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