By Eric Lieberman
Facebook reportedly banned two highly popular conservative women from Facebook last week, arguing that their content is “unsafe to the community.”
Collectively known as Diamond and Silk, the two video creators from North Carolina sometimes profess their admiration for President Donald Trump, while also discussing daily happenings and other topics like media bias. Over the past few years, almost in accordance with Trump’s political ascension, they have gained considerable prominence for their support for the current president, garnering thousands of followers and subscribers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in the process.
After starting correspondence with Facebook over apparent censorship of their brand page starting on Sept. 7, 2017, the duo, Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, finally got answers, albeit in an arguably unsatisfactory way.
“The Policy team has came to the conclusion that your content and your brand has been determined unsafe to the community,” a recent message Facebook sent to Diamond and Silk allegedly reads. “This decision is final and it is not appeal-able in anyway.”
.@DiamondandSilk: "If a privately owned bakery has to go against their Christian values to bake a cake, then Mark Zuckerberg is going to have to suck it up buttercup and allow Diamond and Silk to speak our truth." pic.twitter.com/LnukaSjwD4
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 8, 2018
Diamond and Silk are suspicious of the veracity of Facebook’s ambiguous reasoning not only because they believe their content is harmless, but also since they reportedly can still promote their content, which costs money.
If they are still in fact able to advertise their videos, then it could conceivably help corroborate a growing sentiment that as a private business, Facebook cares about profitability over all else, even if it means making the larger Facebook community upset and frustrated. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify before Congress in two separate hearings Tuesday and Wednesday over deep-seated concerns that it doesn’t value users’ digital privacy.
When The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to Facebook to confirm Diamond and Silk’s claim, and inquire about what exactly was deemed “unsafe” about their content, a Facebook spokeswoman indirectly implied that the aforementioned account was suspended.
“We are aware of this issue,” the company representative said. “We are reaching out to the creators of Diamond & Silk to try and resolve this matter.”
The difference in tone and language between the statement purportedly given to Diamond and Silk and TheDCNF, respectively, shows either a discordance in judgement by Facebook’s content moderators, or a change in tune, potentially following public backlash.
Nevertheless, it appears to be yet another example of Facebook censorship, many of which seem to be targeted at those aligned or associated with one end of the political spectrum.
Aside from the accusations of censorship for non-political or non-ideological content, Facebook has been blamed for removing certain posts and images that presumably don’t comport with the beliefs of its more liberal leaders like Zuckerberg.
The Hungarian prime minister’s chief of staff said that the U.S.-based tech giant removed a video he helped create that alleged immigrants were the primary cause for a reported crime growth in the adjacent country of Austria.
A small town business that sells sporting goods, outdoor clothing, and in some instances, firearms, protested months ago when Facebook rescinded all of its advertising capabilities. The tech company told TheDCNF it took actions against the family owned and operated shop due to its marketing rules, which restrict promotions of items like American flags if that purveyor’s Facebook page includes links that eventually lead to the sales of guns.
Diamond and Silk did not respond to TheDCNF’s request for further insight into the situation in time of publication. The article will be updated if and when they do so.
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Vt digger banned me for my conservative comments (right after I criticized one of their big far left donors$$$$
Those two beautiful ladies have a whole lot of soul. And they crack me up!
Besides speaking a lot of truth, their antics I find to be quite entertaining.. I think they know it as well but don’t get so carried away they lose track of the message. Their YouTube channel is among the missing but Fox News is still giving them coverage.
I hope Mark Zuckerberg is raked over the coals during his testimony.
Listen if your not a ” Leftist Liberal ” in your views , you will be shut down !!
It’s known as the as the Freedom of speech ( Liberal Version ) If you not following
there agenda you cannot speak !!
As we know ” They Can’t Handle the truth ” …………….