Censorship? Only Weeks Before Election Day, Facebook Disables Journalists’ Accounts
The text discusses the recent banning of several journalists’ accounts on social media platforms, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 election. It highlights the case of Madison Summers, IJR’s Managing Editor, who was locked out of her account without warning and faced difficulties in recovering it. Similar account bans have affected other prominent conservative figures and organizations, causing concern about potential bias in content moderation by platforms like Facebook, now under Meta. Despite previous promises from Meta to limit election-related censorship, the ongoing situation raises questions about their commitment to neutrality. The bans have significant implications for the distribution of information from outlets like IJR, which aims to provide balanced coverage of political issues. Meta has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the bans.
appears to have banned the accounts of multiple journalists just a few weeks ahead of Election Day.
These are just the latest in a recent streak of prominent account bans, particularly of conservatives and conservative-leaning organizations, that have taken place on just before the 2024 election, an incredibly tight race.
IJR Managing Editor Madison Summers was locked out of her account roughly three weeks ago without explanation or warning.
Summers has tried everything — contacting support, changing her password, etc. — to get her account back, but nothing has worked.
Eventually, she attempted to make a new account with the same and received the following notification from the social media site:
“Your account was disabled … If you think your account was disabled by mistake you can submit more information via the Help Center for up to 30 days after your account was disabled. After that, your account will be permanently disabled and you will no longer be able to request a review.”
That is the very same message The Western Journal owner Patrick Brown and retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn received when their accounts were also disabled without warning in recent days (though Brown’s account was later restored the same day).
Summers informed The Western Journal that the account of IJR’s social media coordinator was temporarily disabled, as well, though that account was later recovered.
The banning of Summers’ account directly impacts IJR’s distribution — Summers’ private account is used to manage the IJR page.
IJR is a centrist outlet that “provides readers with reliable information about both sides of every issue.”
That coverage has included in recent weeks fair coverage of various Biden-Harris administration and Harris campaign scandals.
Though Meta (Facebook’s parent company) has a history of working with the Biden administration to censor dissenting voices, in July the company claimed it would be refraining from election-related censorship going into the 2024 election.
It’s unclear, however, if is holding true to that promise.
In addition to the bans of accounts connected to The Western Journal and IJR, numerous conservatives took to Elon Musk’s X to claim their accounts had also been banned without warning in recent days.
The extent to which these bans are taking place is unclear.
Meta has yet to respond to a request for comment regarding Summers’ account.
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