New Zealand PM welcomes Facebook bans on white nationalism, separatism

[March 28, 2019]  WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that she welcomed Facebook Inc's decision to ban praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its social media platforms.

People visit a memorial site for victims of Friday's shooting, in front of the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

"Arguably these categories should always fall within the community guidelines of hate speech, but nevertheless it's positive the clarification has now been made in the wake of the attack in Christchurch," she said at a press conference.

Facebook's ban was a shift in policy after criticism by civil rights groups that it was failing to confront extremism.

Ardern said 59 countries will send diplomatic representatives to a national remembrance service on Friday.

(Reporting by John Mair and Praveen Menon)

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