Facebook ramps up crackdown on QAnon conspiracy theory

Facebook is cracking down on groups, pages and ads tied to QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory that falsely claims there’s a “deep state” plot against President Donald Trump and his supporters.

On Wednesday, the world’s largest social network said it took down 790 groups, 100 Pages and 1,500 ads tied to the conspiracy theory, a move that shows social media sites are ramping up their efforts to combat false information amid criticism they don’t do enough to address this problem. In July, Twitter also said it pulled down more than 7,000 QAnon accounts that violated its rules. 

Facebook has been under fire for not doing enough to slow the spread of the QAnon conspiracy theory. The Guardian reported in August that QAnon groups on Facebook are “growing at a rapid pace.” NBC News, citing internal Facebook documents, also reported that month that QAnon groups on Facebook have millions of members. Meanwhile, Facebook is under more pressure to combat hate speech on its site after thousands of businesses stopped advertising on the site in July as part of a campaign organized by civil rights groups.

The social network said it’s taking more steps to limit the reach of QAnon. It blocked 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram, the photo service it owns, related to the conspiracy theory. It’s also restricted more than 1,950 Groups and 440 Pages on Facebook and more than 10,000 Instagram accounts tied to QAnon.

Facebook already has rules against inciting violence and a policy against what Facebook calls “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations.” The company said it’s expanding that policy to “address organizations and movements that have demonstrated significant risks to public safety” but don’t meet the criteria to be considered a “dangerous organization” that Facebook would ban. 

“While we will allow people to post content that supports these movements and groups, so long as they do not otherwise violate our content policies, we will restrict their ability to organize on our platform,” Facebook said in a blog post. The company said it would take down accounts, pages and groups that discuss potential violence including those that use “veiled language and symbols” to do so. Accounts that don’t meet the bar for removal won’t be included in Facebook’s suggestion to users about which groups to follow, be ranked lower in the News Feed, limited in search results and barred from purchasing ads and fundraising.

Facebook has also been cracking down on militia organizations such as Antifa. The company has removed more than 980 groups, 520 Pages and 160 ads from the social network related to these organizations. On Instagram, the company has restricted more 1,400 hashtags related to these groups and organizations.