#Facebook to remove ‘stop the steal’ posts

Facebook announced Monday that it would remove all content that includes the phrase “stop the steal” leading up at least to the presidential inauguration.

The social media giant said it is “treating the next two weeks as a major civic event,” and using precaution following last week’s fatal siege of the US Capitol, it said in a statement.

“We’re taking additional steps and using the same teams and technologies we used during the general election to stop misinformation and content that could incite further violence during these next few weeks,” the statement said.

The announcement comes less than one week after Facebook suspended President Trump’s account indefinitely — and said the site is not allowing “any ads from politicians, including President Trump.”

Twitter said last week it had permanently deleted Trump‘s account.

By Facebook now banning the use of the phrase “stop the steal” the company is shutting down Trump supporters’ rallying cry behind the president and his claims that the presidential election was fraudulent and that he rightfully won re-election.

Trump’s last public appearance came on Wednesday, when he held a rally near the White House as Congressional leaders prepared to certify former Vice President Joe Biden’s election victory over Trump.

Hundreds of Trump supporters then converged on the Capitol, shutting down the proceedings and putting the nation’s capital on lockdown.

Authorities said five people, including a police officer, died in the siege, which caused severe damage to the historic building.

While putting restrictions in place leading up to the inauguration, Facebook said it will add a digest to Facebook News “for people to find reliable news about the inauguration,” including live video of the ceremony on Jan. 20.

“We’ve had emergency measures in place since before the US elections, such as not recommending civic groups for people to join,” the company’s statement said.

“We will stay vigilant to additional threats and take further action if necessary to keep people safe and informed.”

With Post wires