Facebook removes accounts associated with 'boogaloo' movement amid ads boycott

KEY POINTS

• Facebook announced it removed a network of accounts, groups and pages associated with the far-right extremist movement known as "boogaloo."
• Facebook chose to remove the boogaloo network for violating its policy of "Dangerous Individuals and Organizations," which prohibits "any organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on Facebook."
• The company removed 220 accounts, 95 Instagram accounts, 28 pages and 106 groups in the boogaloo network as well as an additional 400 groups and 100 pages that hosted similar content.

Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Yasin Ozturk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Facebook on Tuesday announced it had removed a network of accounts, groups and pages associated with the far-right extremist movement known as "boogaloo."

Facebook chose to remove the boogaloo network for violating its policy of "Dangerous Individuals and Organizations," which prohibits "any organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on Facebook." The term boogaloo refers to U.S.-based extremists that advocate for a violent uprising and want a second Civil War.

"So long as violent movements operate in the physical world, they will seek to exploit digital platforms," Facebook said in a blog post. "We are stepping up our efforts against this network and know there is still more to do."

The company removed 220 accounts, 95 Instagram accounts, 28 pages and 106 groups in the boogaloo network as well as an additional 400 groups and 100 pages that hosted similar content.

Facebook's removal of this network comes as dozens of companies have suspended advertising on social network in protest of the hate speech and misinformation that persists on Facebook. The list of companies involved in the boycott include Coca-Cola. Starbucks, and Volkswagen, among many others.