Facebook removes Italian neo-Nazi pages

Facebook pulled several Italian neo-Nazi pages from its Web site following a public outcry and complaints from European regulators that the pages promoted violence against gypsies.

Seven different group pages, all based in Italy, had been created on the site with titles that incited violence against gypsies, according to a Reuters report. The European Parliament filed a complaint with Facebook, and the pages were promptly removed. Facebook told Reuters that the pages violated its terms of use.

"Facebook supports the free flow of information, and groups provide a forum for discussing important issues. However, Facebook will remove any groups which are violent or threatening," the company said in a statement.

The move is only the latest public backlash involving Web sites that knowingly or unknowingly host Nazi- or hate-related material. In a 2000 ruling that gained widespread attention, a French court ordered Yahoo to block the sale of Nazi items or face a possible daily fine of $13,905. The Internet giant ultimately banned the sale of such items from its Web site. Online auction site eBay came under similar scrutiny and subsequently revised its policy, banning the sale of all hate-related items on its site as well.

[Orion Blastar]

There does not need to be such materials on Facebook as their terms of service prohibit attacking a group of people or promoting hate or hate crimes.

There is too much hate in the world, that needs to change. We need more tolerance and compassion, not hate and anger.

[sharmajunior]

Totally agree with you!

[`WarpKat]

We need to be very careful. While I agree with shutting down hate-related material on the internet, I don't wholly agree with banning the sale of items that, whether we like it or not, are part of our world's history - a history that is very diverse in both good and evil.

Collectors of such items are going to become a dying breed, indeed.

[ledgeswarp]

I agree. I collect World War II military items and I think that bans on the sale of authentic historical items are a shame. To me it seems that people want to bury the past and forget it ever happened. We can't it is history and as bad as things were, they do need to be remembered. Terrible events do happen, but if we all try to forget them, they will happen again.

[solitare_pax]

"Collectors of such items are going to become a dying breed, indeed."

They certainly will become rarer to find - on the flip side, such a ban will help prevent relics from winding up in the hands of some starry-eyed 18 year old hate-monger who will then throw them out like a bunch of unwanted toys when he turns 25 and has to make a respectable living.

Serious collectors - who are concerned with preserving the past so we don't forget he horrors spawned by it - will just find other ways to trade such relics.

[cnstarz]

the internet is serious business people.

[JIDF]

The Jewish Internet Defense Force has been on Facebook's back for a while with regard to HUNDREDS of groups which are either antisemitic or pro-Jihadist in nature. Facebook has removed hundreds of them as a result of our effort, but hundreds still remain. The problems are not limited to Facebook, but also YouTube, Blogspot, WordPress, Wikipedia, Digg, etc,. We are all over it. To learn more, please go here:

http://www.thejidf.org/search/label/Take%20action

[JIDF]

The Jewish Internet Defense Force has been on Facebook's back for a while with regard to HUNDREDS of groups which are either antisemitic or pro-Jihadist in nature. Facebook has removed hundreds of them as a result of our effort, but hundreds still remain. The problems are not limited to Facebook, but also YouTube, Blogspot, WordPress, Wikipedia, Digg, etc,. We are all over it. To learn more, please go here:

<a href="http://www.thejidf.org/search/label/Take%20action">http://www.thejidf.org/search/label/Take%20action</a>

[divito7]

I'm sorry, but what does the JIDF really gain from their efforts? All races and groups are hated by different sects of people. Why is your outcry any different?

If I were you, I'd focus on changing public opinion by your actions instead of looking to bury those very opinions.

[anagimenezb]

Es increible que en pleno siglo XXI existan los llamados "Neo Nazi", y celebro que Facebook los elimine de sus paginas. Todas las personas somos iguales ante Dios...!!

[Harrison912]

Thanks, Desiree, for bringing this to our attention. I'm a web site owner of safety and security products which are typically used for self defense and I whole heartedly agree that the hate cause needs to be discouraged. I'm glad the European Parliament filed the complaint.