Trump attacks social media companies after Facebook bans

Far right activists square off with anti-fascist protesters during a freedom of speech rally in front of City Hall on May 03, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Dozens of far right activists staged a freedom of speech rally in front of City Hall a day after Facebook permanently banned several alt-right personalities from the social media platform. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

STERLING, Virginia: President Donald Trump criticized social media companies after Facebook banned a number of extremist figures, declaring that he was 鈥渕onitoring and watching, closely!!鈥�
Trump, who tweeted and re-tweeted complaints Friday and Saturday, said he would 鈥渕onitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms.鈥� He has previously asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue.
The president鈥檚 comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on 鈥渄angerous individuals.鈥� The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones鈥� site, Infowars, which often posts conspiracy theories. The latest bans apply both to Facebook鈥檚 main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related accounts.
Facebook鈥檚 move signaled renewed effort by the social media giant to remove people and groups promoting objectionable material such as hate, racism and anti-Semitism. The company said it has 鈥渁lways banned鈥� people or groups that proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence, regardless of political ideology.
On Twitter, Trump cited a number of individuals he said were being unfairly treated by social media companies, including Watson and actor James Woods. He insisted it was 鈥済etting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media!鈥�
Woods, one of Hollywood鈥檚 most outspoken conservatives, has had his Twitter account locked. Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough said Woods will need to delete a tweet that violated Twitter rules before he can be reinstated.
Trump tweeted: 鈥淗ow can it be possible that James Woods (and many others), a strong but responsible Conservative Voice, is banned from Twitter? Social Media & Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, have no idea the problems they are causing for themselves. VERY UNFAIR!鈥�
Rosborough said Twitter enforces its rules 鈥渋mpartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation.鈥�
Trump, who uses Twitter extensively to push his message, recently met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey at the White House after attacking the company and complaining that it was not treating him well because he was a Republican. He later described it as a 鈥済reat meeting.鈥�
The president had more than social media on his mind Saturday. Trump also tweeted that he was holding out hopes for a deal with North Korea on its nuclear program, as well as improved relations with Russia, now that he feels the special counsel investigation is behind him.