Facebook is banning white nationalism and white separatism

Facebook is finally banning white nationalism and white separatism, Motherboard reported on Wednesday.

White supremacy had already been banned on Facebook, but white nationalism and white separatism wasn’t, as Motherboard previously reported. This drew criticism from experts who say these are all effectively the same thing. Facebook didn’t initially see it that way, reportedly having previously told its moderators that white nationalism isn’t always explicitly “associated with racism.”

But it seems they’ve now changed their tune, making the decision Tuesday to ban all three. Brian Fishman, Facebook’s policy director of counterterrorism, told Motherboard that “the overlap between white nationalism, [white] separatism, and white supremacy is so extensive we really can’t make a meaningful distinction between them.” A member of Facebook’s policy team said the company has concluded that white nationalism and white separatism are “inherently hateful.”

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