Facebook purges UK activist accounts

[flobdob]

Facebook has today deleted over 50 profiles belonging to left wing and anti-cuts activists, at the same time as the state has started cracking down on political activism and the right to protest. The profiles removed so far include FRFI Studentss, Westminster Trades Council, Cork SWP, Southwark Sos, Socialist Unity, Bristol Ukuncut, London Student Assembly and many more. A list of accounts blocked is being compiled here (http://wiki.openrightsgroup.org/wiki/FB_takedowns).

Fight political censorship!

[Kamos]

Just another of the many reasons I don't use Facebook, one of the most devious tools of the capitalist state.

[Tommy4ever]

Wow. I am genuinely quite shocked at the shamelessness of these actions. :blink:

[tracher999]

fuck it:(

[Means to a end]

How people have been taken in by this site which can not even let you shut down your account (it still keeps your details) and can trace and take pretty much any snippet of your personal life is alarming.

Never had it, never will have it, my friends I know who they are, I see them. I do not need to put all my personal details into a third party to do this.

[RadioRaheem84]

They trap a lot of insecure people who want to use it as a way of making themselves a mini-celebrity amongst their group of friends, outshining one another.

It's sick.

It's funny how Zuckerberg gets touted as such a genius and the Facebook is new capitalism, but in reality it's still the same old face.

Look at the amount of fucking social power a SOCIAL NETWORK site has now.

Anything that makes that much money can command whatever the fuck they want. It's crazy how this irrational system works. A Fruit Company can decide the fate of an elected leader!

I hate capitalism! End rant.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Has there been any reason given for the takedowns? This has shocked me, tbh.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

those who don't use facebook are smart. but on the other hand, so much organization is done on it now, especially by the left, I think it would be smarter to build a campaign against the repressive nature of facebook than to disregard it. it is a useful tool in communicating with people all over the world, but like anything useful, the ruling class holds a monopoly over it. we need to fight against that and claim things as useful to the masses as things that they should own and operate freely.

[Tablo]

Meh, I use facebook. I don't put any super sensitive info on it. :P

Facebook deletes activists accounts all the time. It really isn't surprising at all.

[Chris]

You know... we should make a Global Leftist Revolution Event for November 2011 and see if facebook deletes it.

[Tablo]

You know... we should make a Global Leftist Revolution Event for November 2011 and see if facebook deletes it.
I think there are already a few events like that on facebook. Facebook doesn't seem to care about insignificant stuff like that.

[flobdob]

Has there been any reason given for the takedowns? This has shocked me, tbh.

Ostensibly the reason has been that it is against their policy to allow profiles which are not for individuals. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/29/facebook-accused-removing-activists-pages)This holds no water clearly - pages for Labour Party, Conservative Party and so on profiles have not been removed. Indeed, those who have been taken down all share common themes, having all been involved heavily in the anti-cuts movement and organising in the UK.

This is nakedly political, despite the attempts to portray it as otherwise.

[Ele'ill]

Anonymous engages in 4..3..2..

On a serious note I can't remember facebook or any social networking site taking such a severe political stance in the past. Correct me if I'm wrong- it would actually make me feel better- I don't like antiprogress.

[Martin Blank]

Facebook has been big on ending the practice of organizational accounts, preferring that accounts be for individuals and organizations have the new "pages". They axed our Party's old Facebook page months ago because it was an account, but we've put up one of the new pages and haven't had any problems since.