Facebook shuts down "Britain First"’s page under ‘hate speech’ rules

Facebook has shut down the page of far-right political group Britain First under rules prohibiting hate speech.

The page was followed by more than 1.1million people, which was the largest following of any political social media page in the United Kingdom.

Facebook has now closed the page, citing its rules banning ‘hate speech’.  ‘While people can use Facebook to challenge ideas, institutions and practices, Facebook removes hate speech,’ the notification read.

‘Hate speech includes content that directly attacks people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender or gender identity, or serious disabilities or diseases.’

Britain First members responded angrily to the closure. Its leader, Paul Golding, called it ‘a fascist attack’. ‘Facebook has launched a fascist attack on a registered, legal British political party on the verge of a major election campaign,’ he said.

The group said in a statement that Facebook had denied its 1.1million supporters ‘freedom of speech and expression’.

‘Facebook resisted attempts by political opponents hostile to Britain First to get our page closed down, but now it seems they have “unpublished” it,’ it said.

Britain First also said it had launched ‘an immediate legal fund to drag Facebook into court.’

The page has since been reinstated.

SOURCE