election 2020
Bulletins

Facebook removes group pushing false narrative that election is being stolen

The so-called Stop the Steal 2020 group had amassed more than 300,000 users, but it was taken down by Facebook on Thursday.

In a statement sent to BuzzFeed News, the company cited real-world events the group was inspiring that could lead to potential violence. "In line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension, we have removed the Group 'Stop the Steal,' which was creating real-world events," the statement read. "The group was organized around the delegitimization of the election process, and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group."

Other groups quickly popped up in its place, including a group called Stop the Steal 2.0 that amassed hundreds of followers within 30 minutes of its creation.

Issie Lapowsky

Issie Lapowsky ( @issielapowsky) is Protocol's chief correspondent, covering the intersection of technology, politics, and national affairs. She also oversees Protocol's fellowship program. Previously, she was a senior writer at Wired, where she covered the 2016 election and the Facebook beat in its aftermath. Prior to that, Issie worked as a staff writer for Inc. magazine, writing about small business and entrepreneurship. She has also worked as an on-air contributor for CBS News and taught a graduate-level course at New York University's Center for Publishing on how tech giants have affected publishing.

election 2020
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