Technology

Conservatives outraged after Facebook deletes former Breitbart editor’s account ‘in error’

by Chris Mills Rodrigo

The deletion and subsequent restoration of the Facebook account of a former Breitbart editor sparked outrage from conservatives on Tuesday.

Raheem Kassam‏ tweeted early Tuesday that his account had been deleted. 

“What a thing to wake up to,” Kassam wrote. “My personal Facebook profile has been deleted, with no warning or explanation. I can no longer administer my fan page, with over 150,000 likes.” 

Kassam’s tweet got much more attention after Donald Trump Jr. shared it, adding that he thought it was “funny” that accidents like account deletions “only happen one way.”

{mosads}”I’m sure this was an “accident” like I’ve been hearing from the social media masters,” the president’s son tweeted. “Funny that the accidents only happen one way.

A spokesperson for Facebook told The Hill that the “profile was removed in error and was restored as soon as we were able to investigate.”

Facebook said it had removed a page that violated its community standards for praise, and then accidentally removed the profiles of that page’s administrators.
 
It was not clear what page administered by Kassam was removed for violating Facebook’s community standards, or why it specifically was removed.
 
Under the community standards for praise, Facebook does not allow any organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence, from having a presence on Facebook. 

“How come it is only right wing/conservative accounts that get “removed in error” pending “investigations”?” Kassam tweeted after Facebook’s statement on his account was released. “And who watchers the watchers in this regard?”

Several conservatives have accused social media companies, like Facebook, of censoring right-wing accounts and messaging.

In August 2018, President Trump tweeted that “Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices.”

“Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others.”

GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee last April held a hearing with pro-Trump video personalities “Diamond and Silk” over their claims they were censored by Facebook.

Facebook has maintained that they do not consider political viewpoint when managing content.