Facebook has missed several opportunities to crack down on the “Stop the Steal” movement that fueled the Jan. 6 insurgency on Capitol Hill, according to obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The report documents how Facebook failed to recognize the threat posed by the movement despite numerous warning signs. It also details how Facebook has in some cases been unable to enforce its own rules, and that “members of supposedly banned groups have remained on Facebook and have been able to connect with supporters of Stop the Steal and Patriot Party to help undermine the election. ”
Among its most significant discoveries, Facebook did not realize until after the January 6 uprising that the many disparate “Stop the Steal” groups and pages were in fact a “cohesive movement.” This led to Facebook banning individual pages and groups, while allowing others to stay active. In particular, Facebook of “Stop the Steal” several days after the uprising. “After the Capitol uprising and a wave of Storm the Capitol events across the country, we realized that the individual delegitimization groups, pages and slogans made a cohesive movement,” the report says.
The report also suggests that Facebook’s existing policies may not go far enough. He notes how Facebook focused on prevention inauthentic behavior – that is, actions organized by fake accounts or profiles playing on his platform – but he was not prepared for coordinated harmful behavior of legitimate accounts. “What do we do when a movement is genuine, coordinated by local or genuine means, but is inherently harmful and violates the spirit of our policy?” asks for the report.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company said BuzzFeed that this was “not a definitive report” and that the company “continue to study what happened so that we can continue to improve our moderation of content.”
Questions about Facebook’s role in shaping the events of January 6 have taken on new importance, as lawmakers see it social media platforms. At the same time, the Supervisory Board is considering whether Donald Trump’s suspension should be lifted – a move some advocate should be delayed until it considers Facebook’s role in the insurgency.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through any of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
