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<\/a><\/p>\nThe social media giant has banned a Danish news outlet critical of the EU, immigration and mainstream media two times in a single day. The blackout occurred after a state broadcaster blew the whistle ahead of looming general elections.<\/span><\/p>\n The Danish alternative news outlet 24Nyt has had its Facebook page with\u00a0over 34,000 followers closed. State-owned Danish Radio (DR) has acknowledged its role in\u00a0the shutdown.<\/span><\/p>\n According to\u00a024Nyt, Facebook announced that its page “doesn’t follow Facebook’s policy”, which is the standard message for\u00a0users and organisations who have their profiles switched off. “It is known that people and media critical of\u00a0immigration are exposed to\u00a0Facebook’s censorship”, 24Nyt<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/em> suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n The same day, 24Nyt started a new Facebook page that was also subsequently shut down.<\/span><\/p>\n Later, state-run Danish Radio<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/a> acknowledged its part in\u00a0the shutdown of\u00a0their independent competitor.<\/span><\/p>\n A week ago, DR contacted Facebook and presented a dossier of\u00a024Nyt’s actions on\u00a0their platform, triggering an investigation. Facebook later confirmed that 24Nyt’s page had been closed with\u00a0info from\u00a0that exact investigation, but\u00a0without disclosing the reason.<\/span><\/p>\n Danish Radio described 24Nyt as\u00a0a page “that urged to\u00a0fight against\u00a0established media and left-wing bias”. Danish Radio also admitted that over\u00a0the past\u00a0two years, 24Nyt had had a “significant impact” on\u00a0Facebook, which is now “over”.<\/span><\/p>\n Social media expert Johan Farkas of\u00a0Malm\u00f6 University called the measure “extraordinary”.<\/span><\/p>\n “It is highly unusual that Facebook throws out\u00a0a Danish media. As far as\u00a0I know, this is a first”, Farkas said.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n 24Nyt was banned from\u00a0Facebook only weeks or months before\u00a0the Danish election, which is to\u00a0be held no later than\u00a0June this year.<\/span><\/p>\n “We have discovered that Facebook chose to\u00a0close our site. Immediately afterwards, I was called by\u00a0a journalist from\u00a0Danish Radio. He wanted to\u00a0know if I knew what the basis for\u00a0Facebook’s decision was. I didn’t. Shortly afterwards, DR published an article on\u00a0his website where they wrote that Facebook closed us down\u00a0based on\u00a0the material they received from\u00a0them. We believe that this is very problematic, of\u00a0course, because DR is a tax-financed media that does not have the task of\u00a0silencing independent network media, or otherwise engaging in\u00a0political activism”, 24Nyt’s editor-in-chief Andr\u00e9 Rossmann told the Swedish news outlet Samh\u00e4llsnytt<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n 24Nyt is was founded in\u00a02017 by\u00a0Jeppe Juhl of\u00a0the New Right party. The site is run by\u00a0private enthusiasts and is funded by\u00a0advertising revenues and donations. 24Nyt makes no secret that they are an opinion-based media. It bills itself as\u00a0a “system-critical online newspaper with ‘dangerous opinions’ opposed to\u00a0mainstream media”. Admittedly, they attempt “through strong opinions to\u00a0open up\u00a0the social debate trapped in\u00a0an echo-chamber”. Their website informs that they are against “open EU borders and Muslim mass immigration”, “Islamisation of\u00a0Danish society”, “totalitarian EU”, and “political correctness”.<\/span><\/p>\n Leading tech companies have been repeatedly accused of\u00a0quietly suppressing conservative political views. Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers publicly accused the “big three” (Facebook, Google, Twitter) of\u00a0political bias and suppression of\u00a0free speech. The way Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) put it, tech companies abuse their de-facto monopoly to\u00a0promote left-leaning values.<\/span><\/p>\n