Facebook has penalized The Babylon Bee after the site posted a story making fun of leftist rioters and looters. This was the latest run-in with Facebook for the Christian satire site. 
The satirical post was titled “rioting safely” with the caption “remember to riot safely.”
The platform originally labeled the post with a warning, ruling that the post violated Facebook’s community standards "coordinating harm and promoting crime.”
After Facebook’s decision was criticized on Twitter, Facebook further restricted the post — demonetizing it completely by preventing ad sponsors from making money off of the content. The Babylon Bee appealed the decision but was told it was unlikely to receive a response.
This is not the first time that Facebook has targeted The Babylon Bee.
Facebook previously demonetized and removed a post titled “Senator Hirono Demands ACB Be Weighed Against A Duck To See If She Is A Witch.” Founder and CEO Seth Dillon also said Facebook warned the publication not to speak publicly about the matter, which Dillon ignored in a tweet on his Twitter page.
“In what universe does a fictional quote as part of an obvious joke constitute[s] a genuine incitement to violence? How does context not come into play here?” asked Dillon.
The social media giant also has a history of turning a blind eye as far-left groups organize civil unrest.
Facebook recently announced in a company blog that the platform would at least attempt to remove posts that would lead to civil unrest in the wake of Derek Chauvin verdict.
“We will remove content that violates our Community Standards, including our policies against hate speech, bullying and harassment, graphic violence, and violence and incitement,” Facebook explained.
Despite the statement, Facebook ignored the organization of 14 protests by far-left groups on the platform, including those by racial activists and socialists.
Facebook also failed to follow through on its promise to reduce posts promoting political unrest and violence during the 2020 election.
Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg voiced his concerns about civil unrest prior to the election: "I think we need to be doing everything that we can to reduce the chances of violence or civil unrest in the wake of this election."
Zuckerberg then added: "We're trying to make sure that we do our part to make sure that none of this is organized on Facebook.”
However, this standard apparently didn’t apply to Antifa. The platform refused to take action against violent groups such as Rose City Antifa organizing alleged political violence, even after it was contacted and presented with extensive evidence of violence perpetrated by the group.
UPDATE: Facebook has reversed its decision and reinstated the post.
Conservatism is under attack. Contact Facebook headquarters at 1-650-308-7300 and demand that Big Tech hold the left accountable for their own policies. If you have noticed bias at Facebook, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
