{"id":2851,"date":"2019-05-13T23:11:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T03:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=2851"},"modified":"2019-05-13T23:11:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T03:11:35","slug":"facebook-has-shut-down-23-major-populist-italian-pages-with-2-5-million-followers-just-two-weeks-before-the-european-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=2851","title":{"rendered":"Facebook has shut down 23 major populist Italian pages with 2.5 million followers just two weeks before the European elections."},"content":{"rendered":"

Facebook has shut down 23 major populist Italian pages with 2.5 million followers just two weeks before the European elections.<\/span><\/h2>\n

[It’s time to demand legislation that will treat these near monopolies — Facebook, You Tube, PayPal, Twitter — as public utilities which will be forbidden to discriminate against people because of their views or beliefs. Spread the world! — Paul Fromm., Director, CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FREE EXPRESSION.]<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

According to Italian media, the\u00a0majority<\/a>\u00a0of the pages supported the populist parties La Lega (The League) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S) \u2014 who currently govern Italy in a temporary coalition.<\/p>\n

Facebook has justified its dramatic move by claiming that the sites shared fake news, so-called \u201chate speech\u201d, and \u201cdivisive content\u201d regarding immigrants, vaccines, and Jewish people.<\/p>\n

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