Facebook deletes pages belonging to the far right group 'Proud Boys'

Facebook began Tuesday to remove pages affiliated with "Proud Boys", a far-right organization whose members were allegedly involved in a fierce fight in New York this month.

Pages on Facebook and Instagram that previously belonged to the group have disappeared and have instead posted messages saying that they were not available. The social networking firm confirmed this decision and cited its policies against hate organizations and personalities.

Several members of the Proud Boys were arrested this month, shortly after police declared him involved in a clash with masked protesters belonging to the antifascist Antifa coalition. The fight took place after Gavin McInnes, founder of Proud Boys, delivered a speech on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

McInnes could not be contacted immediately for comment on Tuesday.

Some social media services and other technology companies have had to deal with the pressure from some users to put more emphasis on hate speech, especially as online threats have increased. evolved to become a violence in the real world. Other users have expressed concern that companies are becoming more powerful speech arbiters.

Facebook said in a statement that it was studying the trends in hate speech organized and was working with partners, including non-profit organizations, to understand the evolution of hate groups.

"We ban these organizations and people from our platforms and also remove the praise and support when we realize it," the company said.