Facebook cracks down on QAnon sites

[Magical Realist]

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/q...vgub0M8ZFA

"Facebook on Wednesday banned about 900 pages and groups and 1,500 ads tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, part of a sweeping action that also restricted the reach of over 10,000 Instagram pages and almost 2,000 Facebook groups pushing the baseless conspiracy theory, which has spawned real-world violence.

Facebook also took down thousands of accounts, pages and groups as part of what it called a "policy expansion," seeking to limit violent rhetoric tied to QAnon, political militias and protest groups like antifa.

QAnon is an elaborate, unfounded conspiracy theory alleging that President Donald Trump is secretly saving the world from a group of prominent satanic cannibals who run the world. The group has been linked to several violent, criminal incidents, including a train hijacking, kidnappings, a police chase and a murder.

The new policy says "Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts associated with these movements and organizations will be removed when they discuss potential violence."

QAnon, militia movements and violent movements tied to protests will no longer be allowed to buy ads on Facebook. QAnon ads, which often pushed merchandise, were allowed on the platform before Wednesday's announcement..."

[C C]

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/q...vgub0M8ZFA

"... QAnon is an elaborate, unfounded conspiracy theory alleging that President Donald Trump is secretly saving the world from a group of prominent satanic cannibals who run the world..."

Some religious sites are apparently expanding the qualifications for "cannibal" or "Luciferian anthropophagy". Guy Jr, for instance, did boil his mother's head, but perhaps that was either part of the process for dissolving the parental remains or an act of brazen disrespect, rather than dietary lifestyle.

Cannibal on Trial for Murdering Parents (Exposing Satanism Dot Org): After stabbing his parents numerous times so fiercely that he not only broke but also severed numerous ribs, Joel Guy Jr. decapitated his mother, the court heard. The son allegedly set his mother’s head on the stove to boil and doused his parents’ limbs in caustic chemicals, converting them into a “diabolical stew of human remains,” as cops described it on day one of his trial. Guy Sr.’s severed hands were found on the floor of his bedroom and the couple’s severed torsos in plastic containers in a bathroom, reported the Knoxville Journal Sentinel.

Back to the association of QAnon with Trump: Reporters explained to the president that the group believes that the president is saving the world from a secret satanic cult of cannibals and pedophiles. “Well, I haven’t heard that. But uh, is that supposed to be a bad thing? Or a good thing? If I can help save the world from problems…” Trump replied. He also said that these are people who “love our country.” --Jon Karl: Never have I had to mention satanic cannibals on the world news before

If Ozzy Osbourne was a citizen and could legally be POTUS, it's almost the kind of thing one might expect him or other music acts to say -- given the history of Heavy Metal and Industrial artists uttering "shocking" items and doing outrageous stunts. Amazingly, Trump could have been a fan of Black Sabbath and similar bands in the past (though not a returned sentiment): Black Sabbath have revealed one of their surprising celebrity fans – Donald Trump (2017).

Perhaps this is a hint into the narcissistic psychology of Trump -- he fancies himself to be more than just a magnate celebrity. After the World Wrestling Federation, The Apprentice, cameo and talk-show appearances... maybe he craves the same kind of boehemian liberty, desiring to imitate the infamous exploits and lampoonery of certain rock star idols back in the late '60s and '70s. The incompatibility of that with a high-profile job like the Presidency sort of zooms overhead, or he's at a juvenile level when it comes to discipline in front of a camera, microphone, or twitter account.

Speaking of Ozzy... I've seen commercial promos where he was facetiously advised "We're entering a church ... don't ignite!"(like a vampire). I didn't realize he's literally religious in the most orthodox of British ways.   

"That’s just the first of a few surprises because I know you’re all waiting to hear about Ozzy’s Satanic rituals. He is known as the Prince of Darkness after all. [...] The truth is, Ozzy is a Christian, specifically a member of the Church of England, a uniquely British form of Protestantism. Ozzy even says a prayer before every show. With songs like Mr. Crowley (about the famous English occultist) and the fact that he bit the head off of a bat during a concert, it isn’t a surprise that many consider him a Satanist. Ozzy has even been sued multiple times by parents who blame Ozzy’s demonic lyrics on their children’s suicides." --Hollowverse, Ozzy Osbourne

[Yazata]

I've rarely heard "QAnon" mentioned in pro-Trump circles. Only once as I recall.

Almost the only time I hear it mentioned is by democrats who want to spin it up and want it associated with Republicans and with Trump supporters. Talking heads on CNN or whatever going on about it. It's not unlike their other insults like "fascist" and "racist". It's just partisan rhetoric intended to push voters away from those they hate so passionately.

It is ironic though, hearing democrats complaining about "conspiracy" theories. After four years of their own Russia hoax. Which some of them are still apparently trying to keep alive.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/10/...arantined/

What Facebook does and doesn't do is probably irrelevant in this instance. 'QAnon' is more a figment of the left than a force on the right. It's being spun up to push people away from Trump, so suppressing it probably ends up helping Trump.

And besides, I don't think that many Trump voters pay much attention to Facebook.

[Ben the Donkey]

I'm actually more than a little disappointed in society itself, for empowering Facebook (and everything like it) as much as it does.

I'm fairly certain there are already several studies and more than a few essays on the subject (social media) already which would do more than enough to support my opinion on it, but to wax semi-vernacular... that shit is just wrong, man.
If only "What Facebook does and doesn't do is probably irrelevant in this instance" were a more general opinion (sans the qualifying last three words, and there's no "probably" about it), we'd have less issues surrounding what they do and don't. As things stand, though, everything they do and don't is symptomatic of deeper issues that can't necessarily be addressed without getting positively Orwellian.

[Syne]

I agree that QAnon is not significant among anyone on the right that I am personally aware of. So more of a boogeyman of the left than anything driving right-wing thought.

As far as what social media does, it's a pretty simple solution. Either they are a platform, with the current legal protections against liability for things posted on them, or they are a publisher, who can censure legal speech at the cost of legal liability for what they allow to be posted. Nothing Orwellian about that.

But sadly, social media is primarily a way to manipulate the ignorant and the young.