Facebook temporarily bans journalist for slamming Donald Trump's fans

Sessums was notified by Facebook that post violated ompany's 'community standards'

Facebook acts to restore trust after overstating video views
IANS New York
Last Updated : Dec 31 2016 | 11:51 AM IST
In a latest incident of censorship, Facebook on Friday temporarily restricted journalist Kevin Sessums's account, after he called US President-elect Donald Trump's supporters "a nasty fascistic lot" in a post.

Known for his two best-selling memoirs, Sessums said that he shared a Facebook post from ABC News' political analyst Matthew Dowd that read: "In the last few hours I have been called by lovely 'christian' Trump fans: a jew, faggot, retard. To set record straight: divorced Catholic."

Sessums was later notified by Facebook that the post violated the company's "community standards" and was barred from posting for 24 hours.

It was only after the Guardian contacted Facebook that they reviewed and restored the post of the journalist.

"We are very sorry about this mistake," the Guardian quoted a spokesman of Facebook.

"The post was removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate. Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong," he added.

"It is chilling. It is arbitrary censorship. I was like, 'Wait a minute, do I have to be careful about what I say about Trump now?'" Sessums said.

Earlier this year, Facebook banned a post that contained the 'Napalm Girl' photograph on the grounds that it reflected indecency and suspended the journalist who had posted it.

The accounts of Palestinian journalists were also briefly blocked, which the Facebook called an innocent mistake.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 31 2016 | 11:16 AM IST

Next Story