Facebook has banned several significant Canadian far-right groups and figures, including Faith Goldy and the Soldiers of Odin, from its platform Monday morning.
A Facebook spokesperson told VICE that several groups—all of which exist in the far-right, white nationalist, or anti-Islam ecosystem—were banned by the social media giant. These bans come after Facebook rolled out a policy explicitly outlawing white nationalism on its platform.
The recently-banned groups include the white nationalist Faith Goldy, neo-Nazi Kevin Goudreau—who garnered media attention after listing good “targets” for far-right lone wolf attackers—the Canadian Nationalist Front, Aryan Strikeforce, the Wolves of Odin, and the Soldiers of Odin (along with the Edmonton splinter group, the Canadian Infidels). Affiliated pages, including groups, will also be removed by the company. Earlier in the year, ID Canada—a group affiliated with Generation Identity, an organization the Christchurch shooting suspect donated to—was banned from the platform.
Facebook has long been an organizational hub for far-right groups in Canada. Whether it be the III% growing from an anti-Trudeau Facebook page to an anti-Islamic militia conducting paramilitary-style training, or a white nationalist starting a street patrol group in Finland inspiring the Soldiers of Odin in Canada, the impact of Facebook on the rise of white nationalism in Canada and worldwide can’t be overstated. The social media giant now seems to be taking steps to address this legacy.
