Social media platforms including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook moved to block hashtags and took down posts that seem to incite violence as several rally participants storm Capitol Hill.
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were among the social media giants who moved to block hashtags and took down posts appearing to fuel the already heightened emotions of crowds that gathered in the nation's capital and later stormed Capitol Hill. The social media platforms stated that users who posted videos and messages, along with hashtags, which appear to encourage and promote violence are violations of the platforms' policy against violence and violent behavior. The social media platforms took this unprecedented move after protesters stormed Capitol Hill, which forced US Congressmen and Senators to halt what should have been a routine process.
Facebook and Instagram block #StormTheCapitol, apply rules used for terrorists and hate groups https://t.co/DtuVg6UJ1f by @tayhatmaker — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) January 7, 2021
Twitter justified its move saying that the hashtags and posts violated the platform's policy against violence and violent extremism. The micro-blogging platform, which cited its rules against the glorification of violence, then moved to block certain individuals from posting some more on their platform for 12 hours. Facebook was harsher in its punishment as it blocked the same individuals from making posts on the social media network for 24 hours. YouTube joined the two social media platforms in blocking hashtags and taking down posts that appear to incite violence in the nation's capital. In a statement regarding its move, a Facebook spokesperson cited at least two policy violations against a couple of Facebook Pages from which the fiery posts originated. This resulted in a 24-hour feature block, which essentially means owners and administrators of the page "will lose the ability to post on the platform" within that period. The decision of the company came after alleged fiery statements and videos from a certain Facebook Page appear to encourage the violent behavior of protesters, culminating in the storming of Capitol Hill. Twitter was among the first of the social media platforms to block the hashtags and take down posts that seem to incite violence in an already angry crowd of protesters gathered in the nation's capital.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced the social media platform would block President Trump for 24 hours, following Facebook and Twitter's decisions to bar the president from their platforms.https://t.co/JPMcuzFPIt — San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) January 7, 2021
In the case of Facebook, it also now classifies rally participants who stormed Capitol Hill as falling under the platform's policies on "dangerous individuals and organizations." In the case of YouTube, a spokesperson said that the video-sharing platform will remove live streams and other content that are in violation of company policies, including those that incite violence or consider footage as containing graphic violence. It is not clear whether the social media platforms intend to apply harsher penalties to individuals or groups using their platform aside from taking down posts and videos, as well as blocking hashtags, which appear to incite violence in the nation's capital.
