Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) on Thursday announced it was permanently barring Infowars founder Alex Jones from both its namesake social network and Instagram.
The social media giant, which has previously suspended the far-right extremist, also banned Louis Farrakhan and Paul Nehlen for using anti-Semitic language.
California-based Facebook has also gotten rid of other controversial individuals including Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer, and Paul Joseph Watson.
The company said it is purging them from its platforms for numerous reasons like posting content that goes against its policies, carrying out or calling for acts of violence, following hateful ideologies, and using hate speech or slurs.
The company said it is working to remove every account, page, and group linked with the individuals. A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “We’ve always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology. The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today.”
Although Facebook said it will prohibit these high-profile individuals from creating new accounts, it is still expecting their followers to continue creating posts that praise them and their opinions.
Facebook suspended Jones last year for violating its rules against hate speech and bullying. Earlier this year, the company removed 22 pages that were associated with his Infowars website.
Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR) also permanently suspended Jones and his Infowars accounts in September 2018 for saying that CNN reporter Oliver Darcy had the “eyes of a rat.” Apple, YouTube, and Spotify as well banned his accounts and products from their various services in August.
The far-right extremist continues to promote theories ranging from the left-wing staging the Sandy Hook massacre in which 26 adults and children died at a Connecticut elementary school to the U.S. government planning the 9/11 attacks. Shares of Facebook ended the regular session on Thursday with a loss of 0.26% to $192.53.
Facebook Inc Profile
Facebook Inc is the world’s largest online social network, with more than 2 billion monthly active users. Users engage with each other in different ways, exchanging messages and sharing news events, photos, and videos.
On the video side, the firm is in the process of building a library of premium content and monetizing it via ads or subscription revenue.
Facebook refers to this as Facebook Watch. The firm’s ecosystem consists mainly of the Facebook app, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and many features surrounding these products. Users can access Facebook on mobile devices and desktop.
Advertising revenue represents more than 90% of the firm’s total revenue, with 50% coming from the U.S. and Canada, and 25% from Europe. With gross margins above 80%, Facebook operates at a 40%-plus margin.
