Social media companies Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc have announced crackdowns on content linked with the unfounded and sprawling conspiracy theory QAnon.
FILE PHOTO: A supporter holds a QAnon sign as U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 2, 2018. REUTERS/Leah MillisQAnon followers espouse an intertwined series of beliefs, based on anonymous web postings from “Q,” who claims to have insider knowledge of the Trump administration.
The ‘Q’ posts, which started in 2017 on the message board 4chan, are now posted on 8kun, a rebranded version of the shuttered web board 8chan. QAnon has been amplified on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, the video streaming service of Alphabet Inc’s Google. Researchers say that Russian government-supported organizations are playing a small but increasing role amplifying the conspiracy theories.
Facebook in August removed nearly 800 QAnon groups for posts celebrating violence, showing intent to use weapons or attracting followers with patterns of violent behavior. It has also imposed restrictions on the remaining 1,950 public and private QAnon groups that it found. Facebook said it plans to ban ads that promote or reference QAnon, and it does not allow QAnon pages to run commerce shops.
A YouTube spokeswoman said it has removed tens of thousands of Q-related videos and terminated hundreds of Q-related channels for violating its rules since updating its hate speech policy in June 2019.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Facebook Employees Slam Zuckerberg Over Militia Groups And QAnon After KenoshaFollowing days of violence and civil unrest, Facebook employees wonder if their company is doing enough to stifle militia and QAnon groups stoking violence on the social network.
Read more »
Why the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon is going globalAlthough QAnon’s raison d’etre is largely rooted in US domestic politics – where it has capitalised on societal anxieties – its conspiracist thinking is gaining ground overseas.
Read more »
“QAnon Is Batshit Crazy”: Lindsey Graham Talks TikTok, Online Conspiracies, and Why He’s Sticking With TrumpThe South Carolina senator, facing a tough reelection fight, recalls warning Trump not to shut down TikTok after getting calls from Hannity, Petraeus, and his niece: “You’re going to get kicked in the ass by a bunch of young people.”
Read more »
Trump makes it complicated for GOP looking to stay away from QAnon"I&39;ve heard these are people that love our country… so I don&39;t know really anything about it, other than they do supposedly like me," Mr. Trump said.
Read more »
Facebook Employees Slam Zuckerberg Over Militia Groups And QAnon After KenoshaFollowing days of violence and civil unrest, Facebook employees wonder if their company is doing enough to stifle militia and QAnon groups stoking violence on the social network.
Read more »