 police in action.

We have become increasingly accustomed to the notion that the social media platforms we use will have certain terms and conditions attached to regulate how we communicate on them. These can help ensure some level of respect and decency on an online space of millions of users. But predictably, much public debate so far on what this means has centered around nudity, sexual content and violence. Only recently Facebook found itself having to explain why it had censored images of women breastfeeding while allowing for images of beheadings to remain on its network.

Getting political

However, in the last few months we have seen the debate shift towards what is increasingly looking like Facebook acting as our social media police force.

Anarchist Memes is a page dedicated to anti-capitalist, anti-racist, feminist, and pro-LGBTQ rights that after five years of operation had acquired 90,000 likes and hundreds of comments every day. Although an older version of the site has now replaced it, the page was recently shut down, prompting the artist and activist Ben Nolton to ask whether Facebook is actually flirting with fascism.

As Nolton points out, Facebook has demonstrated startling double standards in what it chooses to remove, leaving blatantly racist and white supremacist pages untouched, and allowing misogyny to remain rife and entrenched in Facebook culture. Photos of beaten women and violent death and rape threats permeate the network often under some warped conception of humour and free speech. This, of course, is not to mention the absurd amounts of corporate sexist propaganda that women regularly get bombarded with every time they read through their Facebook news feed.

The battle over Anarchist Memes is part of a broader strategy to take closer control of political activity that takes place on Facebook. The social media giant participated in a convention in Philadelphia in October, where it discussed ways in which “partnerships” between Facebook and police could be established that would block certain individuals, uses, and pages. And in the lead-up to the royal wedding in the UK in 2011, it was reported that Facebook had, within a short period of time, closed down a number of pages for UK-based political groups in what seemed to be part of a wider crackdown on potential protests by British authorities.

Of course this is in addition to the questions that still surround the role Facebook has played in governmental online surveillance programmes. It all reveals the company to be an increasingly
police in action. 

 We have become increasingly accustomed to the notion that the social media platforms we practice will have sealed term and conditions attach to baffle how we communicate on them. These can help see some horizontal surface of respect and decency on an on-line space of millions of drug user. But predictably, much public debate so far on what this mean has centered around nudity, intimate content and ferocity. entirely recently Facebook found itself having to explain why it had censor images of women breastfeed while allowing for image of beheadings to remain on its network. 

 Getting political 

 However, in the last few calendar month we have seen the debate shift towards what is increasingly looking like Facebook acting as our social media police force. 

 Anarchist Memes is a page dedicated to anti - capitalist, anti - racist, feminist, and pro - LGBTQ rights that after five years of operation had acquired 90,000 likes and hundreds of comments every day. Although an honest-to-god version of the site has immediately replace it, the page was recently shut down, prompting the artist and activist Ben Nolton to necessitate whether Facebook is actually flirting with fascism. 

 As Nolton point out, Facebook has demonstrated startling double standard in what it chooses to remove, leaving blatantly racist and white supremacist pages unmoved, and allowing misogyny to remain rife and entrenched in Facebook acculturation. Photos of beat women and violent death and rape threats permeate the net often under some warped conception of humour and free speech. This, of course, is not to mention the absurd amounts of bodied sexist propaganda that women regularly get bombarded with every time they read through their Facebook news feed. 

 The struggle over Anarchist Memes is part of a wide strategy to accept closer command of political activity that takes place on Facebook. The social media giant enter in a convention in Philadelphia in October, where it discussed ways in which “ partnerships ” between Facebook and police could be established that would block certain individuals, uses, and page. And in the lead - up to the royal marriage in the UK in 2011, it was reported that Facebook had, within a short period of time, closed down a number of page for UK - based political groups in what seemed to be part of a wider crackdown on potential protests by British authority. 

 Of naturally this is in summation to the questions that still surround the role Facebook has played in governmental on-line surveillance programmes. It all reveals the company to be an increasingly
 popice in action.

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Gettiig political

However, yn the lavt few months we hace seen the debxre rhirt tkwards whet is increzsingly loojing like Facebook scepmg as our sodial mqdya police force.

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police in action. We have become increasingly the that the media platforms we and attached to regulate we communicate on These can help ensure some level respect and decency on an online space of millions of users. But predictably, public debate so far on what this means has centered around nudity, sexual and Only Facebook itself having to explain why it had censored images of women breastfeeding while allowing for images beheadings to remain on its network. Getting political in the last few we have seen the debate towards is increasingly like acting our social media force. Anarchist Memes is a page dedicated to anti-capitalist, anti-racist, feminist, and pro-LGBTQ rights that after five of operation 90,000 likes hundreds comments day. Although an of the site has now replaced was recently shut down, prompting the artist and Ben Nolton ask whether Facebook is actually flirting fascism. As Nolton points out, Facebook has demonstrated double standards in what it chooses to remove, leaving blatantly racist and white supremacist pages allowing misogyny to remain and entrenched in culture. of women violent death rape threats permeate the network often under some warped conception of and free speech. This, of course, is not to mention amounts corporate sexist propaganda women regularly get bombarded every they read through their feed. battle is of broader strategy to take control of political activity that place on Facebook. The a convention in Philadelphia in October, where it ways in which “partnerships” between Facebook and could be established that would block certain individuals, uses, and pages. And the lead-up royal wedding in the UK in 2011, it reported that Facebook had, a short period of time, closed down a number pages UK-based political in what seemed be part of wider crackdown on by British Of this to the questions that still surround role has played in governmental online programmes. reveals the company to be an increasingly
 police in action.

We have becomE increasinGly acCusTomEd To thE notIon that the sociAL medIa platforms we use will haVe cerTaIN terMS aNd conDitions ATtACHed To ReGulAtE HoW we coMmuNicate oN them. These Can HeLp ensure some LEvEl of respecT anD decency on an OnlIne spaCe Of mILlionS of Users. but preDIctablY, much publIc DEbate sO Far on whAT ThIs meAns has centered aroUNd NUdity, sexual conTent anD vIOlENCe. ONly Recently FaCeBook fOUnd itseLF hAVINg tO Explain why it hAd censored iMAgeS of womEn BreAStfeedIng whIlE AllOwing for imaGes oF beheadinGs to reMAin on itS Network.

gettinG poLitIcal

hOwEvEr, iN tHE laST fEw mONthS we have sEeN tHe debAte sHIFT TowaRds What Is incReasingly lookIng Like fAceBook aCting As ouR sOcial Media pOlice FoRce.

Anarchist MemEs is A page dediCatEd To aNtI-capiTAlist, aNti-RacIst, femiNist, and PRo-LgBtq RIgHts that after five yeArS OF oPeration Had acqUIrEd 90,000 LIkes and hUnDreDs of COMmentS eveRY dAy. AlthouGh an olDEr VeRsion of ThE site hAs Now RepLaced IT, the Page waS recentlY shut DOwn, prompting thE Artist and actiVIsT bEn nOltoN to Ask whether FAcebOOk is ActuALlY flIRting With fAsCIsM.

as Nolton points out, FaCeBook haS demoNstrated startLing double STANdards in What IT cHOoses to remove, lEavinG blatantly RAcist and White SupremacIst pages uNTOuched, anD alLowIng MisOGYnY to remain rife AND entReNched in facEbook cuLtuRe. PHotOs oF bEaten womeN and violEnT dEaTh And Rape tHReats perMeAte ThE neTwork OFten unDer soMe waRpEd COncEption oF HuMOUr anD fReE speEch. thIs, of cOursE, Is nOt to menTion the abSurD AmouNtS oF corporAte sexist propAgAnda that woMeN reGularlY GEt bombarDed with every time they reaD Through TheIr FacEbooK news feed.

the Battle OveR anarchIst MemEs is pArT of A BRoadeR STrAteGy To take closER ConTrol oF pOlitIcal actIvity that takes placE On FAcebook. The socIal MediA GIaNt pARtICipAtED in A COnvention in PhilAdelphia in ocTObEr, where it dIScuSsEd ways iN which “pArtneRShips” beTween FaceBook and poLiCe coULD be EstablisheD that wouLd block ceRTain iNDiViduaLs, uSes, and PaGes. and in The leaD-Up tO the rOyal weDdIng in tHe UK iN 2011, iT was repoRted that Facebook had, withIn a shoRt perIod Of time, cloSed DOwn A number of PageS for UK-baseD poLitIcal gRouPS in whAt seEMeD to BE part Of a wIDer crackdOWn On pOTEnTial protestS BY briTish aUthORities.

of coUrse this is in additIOn to the questioNs thAT StiLl sURrouNd The role FacebooK haS pLAYed in govErNmental onliNe surveiLlANce prOgrammEs. It alL revealS THe COmpany To be An iNcreasingLy
 police in action.

We hav e become i ncrea sin gly  a ccus tome d to the notio n  tha t the social media pla tform sw e us e  w ill h ave cer t ai n ter ms  a ndco n di tions  at tachedto regulat e h ow  we communic a te  on them.The se can helpens ure so me  le v el of  re spect  and d e cencyon an onl in e  space of mill i o ns  ofusers. But predic t ab l y, much public  debat es of a r o n w hat this m ea ns ha s  center e da r o und nudity, sexua l content a n d v iolenc e.  On l y rece ntlyFa c ebo ok found it self  having t o expl a in whyi t had c ensore d i mag es o f  w om enbr e ast f ee din g  wh ile allo wi ng  forimag e s o f be hea ding s toremain on its  ne twor k .
Getti ng po liti ca l

Ho wever,  in t he  last few month s we  have see n t he  de ba te sh i ft tow ard s w hat isincreas i ngl yl o o ki ng like Facebook a ct i n gas our s ocialm ed ia police f or ce. 

An a r chist  Mem e sis a pag e dedi c at ed  to ant i- capita li st,  an ti-ra c ist,  femin ist, and  pro- L GBTQ rights th a t after fivey ea r s  o f  ope rat ion had acq uire d  90, 000l ik esa nd hu ndred so fc omments every day.Al though  an o lder versionof the sit e h as now r epla c ed it, the page w as re cently shu t  down, p rompt ing theartist an d activist  Be n N olt ont o  a sk whether Fa c e book  i s actua lly  flirti ngwit h f asc is m.

As No lton poi nt sou t,  Fa ceboo k  has dem on str at edstart l ing do ublestan da rd s  in  what i t  c h o oses  t oremo ve,  l eavin g bl a tan tly rac ist and w hit e  sup re ma cist pa ges untouched ,and allowi ng  mi sogyny t o remain  rife and entrenched in Faceboo k c ultur e. P hotos ofbea ten wo men and vi olentdeath  a ndr a pe th r e at s p er meate then e two rk of te n un der som e warped conceptio n  of  humour and f ree  spe e c h.  Th i s, ofco u rse , is not to menti on the abs ur d  a mounts ofc orp or ate sex ist pro pagan d a thatwomen reg ularly ge tbomb a r ded  with ever y time t hey readt hroug h  t heirFac ebookne wsfeed. 

Theb att le ov er Ana rc hist M emesis  part of  a broader strategy totake c loser  co ntrol ofpol i tic al activi ty t hat takespla ceon Fa ceb o ok. T he s o ci alm ediagian t  particip a te d i n aconventioni n Phi ladel phi a  in Oc tobe r, where it discu s sed ways in wh ich“ p art ner s hips ”between Facebo okan d police c ou ld be estab lished t ha t  woul d bloc k cert ain ind i v id u als, u ses,  an d pages.And  i n  the le ad -u p  to th e ro ya l wedd ing in theU K  in 2011, it was  repo r t ed th a t F acebo ok  had, w i thin  a short p eriod of ti me, cl osed  down  a numb er  of pa ges  f or UK-base d  politica l gro ups inwh at s eem ed tobe p a r t ofa wi de r c rackdowno n  p o te nt i alprot estsby  Bri tish auth o rities.
Of courseth isi s  in ad d it i o n to the q ues tions t hat stills urro u nd the r ole Fa cebook  has pl a yed  i n gover nme n t al online  surveill a nce  p rogr ammes. I tallre vea ls  the company to  be an i ncreasin g l y
 police_in action.

We_have become increasingly accustomed_to the_notion_that the_social_media platforms we_use will have_certain terms and conditions_attached to regulate_how_we communicate on them. These can help ensure some level of respect and decency_on_an online_space_of_millions of users. But predictably,_much public debate so far_on what_this means has centered around nudity, sexual content_and_violence. Only recently_Facebook found itself having to explain why it had_censored images of women breastfeeding while_allowing for images_of_beheadings_to remain on its_network.

Getting political

However, in the last few_months we have seen the debate_shift towards what is increasingly looking like_Facebook acting as our social media_police force.

Anarchist Memes is a_page dedicated_to anti-capitalist, anti-racist, feminist, and_pro-LGBTQ rights that_after five_years of operation_had acquired 90,000 likes and hundreds_of comments every_day. Although an older version of_the_site has now_replaced_it,_the page_was recently shut_down,_prompting the_artist_and activist Ben Nolton to ask_whether_Facebook is actually flirting with fascism.

As Nolton_points out, Facebook has_demonstrated_startling double standards in_what it chooses to remove,_leaving blatantly racist and white supremacist_pages untouched,_and allowing_misogyny to remain rife and entrenched in Facebook culture. Photos of_beaten women and violent death and_rape threats permeate the_network often_under_some warped conception_of_humour and_free speech. This, of course, is not_to mention_the absurd amounts of corporate sexist_propaganda that women regularly_get_bombarded with every time they read_through their Facebook news feed.

The battle_over Anarchist Memes is part_of_a_broader strategy to take closer_control of political activity that takes_place on Facebook._The social media giant participated in a_convention_in Philadelphia in October, where it_discussed_ways in which “partnerships” between Facebook_and_police_could be established that would_block certain individuals, uses, and pages._And in the lead-up to the royal wedding in_the UK in_2011, it was reported that_Facebook_had,_within a short period of time, closed down a number_of pages_for UK-based political_groups in what seemed to be part of a wider_crackdown on potential protests by British authorities.

Of_course this is in addition to the questions that still surround_the role Facebook has played in governmental online_surveillance programmes. It all reveals the company_to be an increasingly