Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
- Facebook said it has banned QAnon accounts across all its platforms, effective Tuesday.
- The move is an update to a policy the company announced in August than only banned QAnon accounts that promoted violence.
- Facebook has been criticized for not doing enough to curb the spread of conspiracy theories on its networks.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Facebook said it will ban QAnon accounts across all its platforms, effective Tuesday.
The decision comes after Facebook faced criticism for not doing enough to stop the spread of conspiracy theories on its networks.
The move will not target individual posts, only accounts a Facebook spokesperson told NBC News.
“Starting today, we will remove Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts for representing QAnon,” Facebook’s press release reads.
“We’re starting to enforce this updated policy today and are removing content accordingly, but this work will take time and will continue in the coming days and weeks. Our Dangerous Organizations Operations team will continue to enforce this policy and proactively detect content for removal instead of relying on user reports.”
In August, Facebook said it would take broad action on groups that it described as posing "significant risks to public safety," including QAnon.
The company did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, but told NBC News the change is an update to a policy it implemented in August which removed 1,500 pages, groups and profiles related to QAnon. The removals targeted accounts that discussed violence.
The social-media network said the bans will "bring to parity what we've been doing on other pieces of policy with regard to militarized social movements."
QAnon conspiracy theorists have aggressively spread a false theory that a secret cabal of satanists and pedophiles are trying to oust President Donald Trump, including Democrats. Republicans across the country have also spread baseless claims that Democrats are protecting child abusers and sex traffickers.
One baseless theory included a claim that Democrats sacrifice children and drink their blood to extend their own lives.
According to multiple news reports, QAnon-linked accounts have coordinated disinformation campaigns in the last few weeks, including the unfounded theory that the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was secretly wearing an earpiece before last week's debate began.