Reddit takes action against violations after US Capitol invasion

Reddit said it will take action against violations on its platform following the invasion of the Capitol, the US Congress building, on Wednesday (06/01). The attack was carried out by neo-fascist protesters in favor of US President Donald Trump.

A Reddit spokesperson told Tech Crunch that the platform's policies prohibit "content that promotes hate or encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence."

“As a result, we have been proactively reaching out to moderators to remind them of our policies and offer support or resources as needed,” it said. “We are also taking action on reported violations.”

During the storming of the US Capitol, Reddit observed no unusual activity on the forums, according to information from Tech Crunch. In June 2020, the platform banned a number of subreddits (discussion forums) related to Trump due to harassment and hate speech.

The most popular group, The_Donald, had more than 790 thousand users and content such as memes, viral videos and messages of support for the politician. After being expelled from Reddit, former members of the forum organized a niche website with the same name. Messages published on the exiles' website, according to information from Buzzfeed, led to the invasion of the US Capitol on Wednesday.

Other networks

Reddit's statement follows a position similar to that of Twitter, which blocked comments on a tweet by US President Donald Trump during the storming of the US Capitol.

“As for the ongoing situation in Washington, D.C., Twitter’s Trust and Safety teams are working to protect the public conversation that occurs on the service and will take action on any content that violates the Twitter Rules.”

Reactions to the episode have changed as events unfold in Washington. For now, content control on Reddit remains in the hands of moderators.

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