Facebook removes Polish far-right pages for anti-Semitic content

Social media giant says groups whose pages were taken down ‘openly promote racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic views’

WARSAW, Poland — Representatives of far-right Polish groups asked the country’s prime minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene after Facebook removed their pages for anti-Semitic content.

Facebook said late last week in a statement on community standards that it “prohibits on its platform” the presence of organizations violating its regulations. The statement specifically lists the National Radical Camp, or ONR, and the National Rebirth of Poland, or NOP. “We believe that these organizations openly promote racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic views,” Facebook said in the statement.

Facebook employees received many reports about inappropriate materials posted by Polish nationalists, in which people were attacked because of their “protected characteristics,” which include race, religion and gender.

“It was not an easy decision, because we encourage you to express individual views, make contacts and share thoughts, but we also want people to always feel welcomed and safe,” the representatives of the portal said in a statement on its community standards.

According to Robert Winnicki, president of the National Movement, it is “brutal censorship and a drastic limitation of pluralism of public debate.”

“Urgent government intervention is needed!” Winnicki tweeted.

Krzysztof Bosak, vice president of the National Movement, thinks that this case is “kind of a favor for us.” In his opinion it “compromises the liberal values and liberal democracy in Polish eyes.”

“Thanks to these clowns [Facebook], perhaps we will establish a new Catholic order,” he tweeted.