Facebook takes down massive ‘Stop the Steal’ group

Facebook took down a group called Stop the Steal that spread pro-Trump election misinformation on Thursday after it had accumulated well over 300,000 members.

“In line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension, we have removed the Group ‘Stop the Steal,’ which was creating real-world events,” a platform spokesperson told The Hill. “The group was organized around the delegitimization of the election process, and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group.” 

The group was rife with misinformation, including debunked claims about Sharpie pens in Maricopa County, Ariz., invalidating ballots and election workers throwing out ballots. 

It was tied to Woman for America First, a nonprofit organized to protest against President Trump’s impeachment by former tea party activist Amy Kremer, Mother Jones reported. 

The group organized multiple in-person events and was being used to raise funds to challenge election results.

Several smaller groups named “Stop the Steal” or similar names remain on the platform. The Hill has reached out to Facebook for comment on these groups.