Facebook bans German accounts under new ‘social harm’ policy

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

Facebook has removed nearly 150 accounts and pages linked to anti-lockdown demonstrators in Germany Thursday under a new policy focused on addressing groups that work together to spread harmful content. The accounts were linked to the so-called Querdenken movement, which includes vaccine and mask opponents, conspiracy theorists and some far-right extremists. One post from the network wished death upon police officers who broke up violent anti-lockdown protests. The removals are the first under Facebook’s new policy focused on preventing “coordinated social harm.” Facebook said the accounts it removed Thursday worked together to spread content that violated Facebook’s rules on misinformation and threats of violence.