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Donald Trump Jr. implores followers to ‘fight back’ after Facebook bans far-right extremists

He suggested it won’t be long before the ‘purge’ affects others with similar views.

Photo of Samira Sadeque

Samira Sadeque

Donald Trump Jr

Donald Trump Jr. now has a purpose in life: to “fight back” against the recent ban imposed by Facebook and Instagram on far-right extremists on their platforms.

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“Ask yourself, how long before they come to purge you? We must fight back,” the president’s son said on Twitter on Friday, one day after the social media giants announced the ban.

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The bans came following much scrutiny and pressure on the social media organizations to take responsibility for the hate and misinformation being spread on their platforms. Prominent figures with thousands of followers, such as Laura Loomer, Alex Jones,  Milo Yiannopoulos, and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, were among those banned.

Facebook told CNN that they have “always banned” organizations and individuals that promote hateful rhetoric that incite violence, and their process of monitoring these accounts is “extensive.”

Some defended Facebook’s decision in their responses to Trump Jr.’s tweet:

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https://twitter.com/soundadvice/status/1124502618217295873

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But others cheered him on, many urging him (or others) to start their own social media company.

Gab, the website that bills itself a “free speech software company” and hosted the Tree of Life synagogue shooter’s hateful rhetoric, was quick to jump in and remind the world—and Trump Jr.—that it’s still around:

https://twitter.com/getongab/status/1124346828831506433

Indeed, banning these personalities on social media will push them underground, but it won’t make those posting hateful content—or those with the sentiments who follow and share such content—completely go away. And with platforms like Gab jumping at the opportunity to host those being banned from mainstream platforms, the possibility of “fighting back” seems ominously likely.

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