Facebook bans far right extremists from their platform

Facebook has banned a host of far-right individuals and organisations in the UK that it says “spread hate”.

The social media group said on Friday that it had shut down Facebook and Instagram pages associated with the British National party, the English Defence League, the National Front, Britain First and the militant Christian group Knights Templar International.

Nick Griffin, former leader of the BNP, and Jack Renshaw, a far-right activist jailed in June for plotting to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper, were also banned.

Facebook previously removed pages representing Britain First in March of last year for breaching community standards. However, the new ban means third-party users may also have their posts removed if they express support for the banned political parties and individuals.

In February, Facebook banned Tommy Robinson from Facebook and Instagram for repeatedly breaching the social media platform’s hate speech rules. The company said Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted material that used “dehumanising language and [called] for violence targeted at Muslims”.

Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP who chairs the Commons home affairs select committee, said Facebook’s announcement on Friday was “welcome” but “long overdue”.

As working partners of Facebook, here at Faith Associates / Imams Online, we support and welcome the decision taken by Facebook. We have worked closely with Facebook to keep Muslims safe and secure on the platform, see our ‘Keeping Muslims Safe Online’ Guide here.

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