Facebook Cracks Down on QAnon Conspiracy Groups

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Aug 20, 2020 04:24 AM EDT

Facebook took down thousands of QAnon groups and accounts on Wednesday. It covered the conspiracy groups from both Instagram and Facebook, as well as a range of militia groups.

The QAnon groups' crackdown was done after the company noticed a rise in behavior among these accounts that incited violence.

As part of the effort, hundreds of groups, pages, and ads were removed from Facebook, reported the CNN. At least 790 groups, 100 pages, and 1,500 ads were purged, The Verge said in a report.

Meanwhile, as many as 10,000 accounts on Instagram and hundreds of QAnon groups and pages had been given more restrictions. Facebook also blocked over 300 related hashtags.

Facebook updated its moderation policy on accounts or groups that post borderline violent content. It posted a blog post detailing this purge and this new policy, focusing on QAnon.

Facebook said it is blocking these groups from organizing on their platform. But the topics that they organize on won't be banned.

The blog post read: "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."

The move against QAnon groups comes a month after the firm's cracked down on the same groups.

Conspiracy Behind QAnon

Followers of QAnon believed that powerful figures, who run the world, engage in violent acts to harvest a supposed life-extending chemical from abused children.

The group has been identified as a potential domestic terrorism threat by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It has been linked to numerous acts of violence.

Facebook believed that these groups are dangerous and peddle misinformation. According to the Wall Street Journal, these groups have thrived on the Facebook platform for years.

QAnon groups have seen explosive growth on Facebook this year. They have become hotbeds for coronavirus misinformation, reported The Guardian. But these actions are not enough to warrant an entire purge from the platform.

Facebook reasoned that they are not as organized within the online platform. So people who follow the belief can still talk about them on Facebook through posts and links. But they will have to face more rules if they are looking for more organized activity.

Facebook's Struggle with Fringe Groups

For years, Facebook had a hard time containing fringe movements that were organized on its platform. Their groups often organize in private groups and can go unseen by Facebook.

The platform has also been a venue for inconsistent and delayed application of content policies. Removals of rule-breaking posts are also delayed.

Facebook's algorithm also didn't help in driving people away from these kinds of groups and content. Compared to Facebook, Reddit just took down groups that were on their site recently.

Harvard researcher Joan Donovan said these groups don't get big on their own. They grow in numbers by taking advantage of the platforms that they use.

Donovan noted that Facebook should have cracked down sooner. She added that Facebook would not have been a venue for many QAnon groups if they did a crackdown after Reddit did so.