Facebook is taking new steps to limit the influence of QAnon on its platform by banning supportive ads.
The social network said it was banning ads that “praising, supporting, or representing” QAnon or “militarized social movements” and that it had begun downgrading posts from QAnon groups and pages in users’ news feeds.
The social network had previously removed hundreds of groups and pages associated with the conspiracy theory, whose followers believe the government is controlled by a group of satanic pedophileswho will ultimately bring down Donald Trump. Once seen as a “marginalization” move, belief in QAnon has surged since the start of the coronavirus.
Facebook also said it is taking steps to address QAnon groups' obsession with child trafficking and safety . In recent months, QAnon groups have taken to the topic of child trafficking to recruit new followers and make the conspiracy theory more appealing, amid a crackdown by social media platforms.
Researchers said it helped QAnon grow even more, while legitimate anti-human trafficking organizations say the conspiracy theories have made it difficult to help real victims, according to Engadget.
Now, Facebook says it will “direct people to trusted child safety resources when they search for specific hashtags related to the topic” and will send posts about QAnon and child trafficking to third-party fact-checkers. The flagged posts will be ranked and flagged lower and will not be able to be used in ads, Facebook.
The new steps come as Facebook has sought to take a tougher stance on QAnon and other groups that promote violence. In a separate update, the company said it had removed more than 6,500 groups and pages for violating its rules on “militarized social movements.”
