American rock band Trapt have stated that Facebook will be “sued successfully” after the social media platform removed the band’s account for “violating community standards”.
Frontman Chris Taylor Brown has been a vocal Donald Trump supporter this year, with the band’s last post depicting the silhouette of a Proud Boy – complete with their signature Fred Perry logo, an association the clothing brand have strongly distanced themselves from – holding Lady Liberty, captioned: “Don’t Worry Girl, We Got You.”
Brown added the Proud Boys saying “PYOB (Proud of You, Boy)” to the post, referencing the violent neo-fascist organisation that Trump has publicly refused to condemn. Proud Boys have been designated by US intelligence officials as a “dangerous white supremacist group”.
It appears that the band’s endorsement of the far-right group has led to their removal from Facebook, with Brown claiming his personal Instagram account has also been deleted.
“For posting this pic … Facebook has completely deleted the TRAPT FB account,” Brown wrote on Trapt’s Twitter account. “They said don’t use the phrase ‘Proud Boys.’ I specifically told FB trapt fans that I could not say the name. I will be suing Facebook.”
The Twitter posts came after several people who had reported the band for “hate speech” shared screengrabs of a response from Facebook that read, “Thanks for taking the time to report something you feel may go against the Facebook Community Standards. We removed Trapt’s profile from Facebook.”
For posting this pic and saying the same thing in the post, Facebook has completely deleted the TRAPT FB account. They said don’t use the phrase “Proud Boys.” I specifically told FB trapt fans that I could not say the name. I will be suing Facebook. Was also a post about Parler https://t.co/JAyEhIPuKf
— TRAPT (@TRAPTOFFICIAL) November 19, 2020
Damn, Facebook also deleted my personal Instagram profile which I don’t post anything but pics of me & my girl? Wonder if they will delete my personal FB musician page too. I haven’t even used that one in a while. FB really has it out for me. Thankful for Parler @CTBTraptParler pic.twitter.com/FZM6Y9ZXQ1
— TRAPT (@TRAPTOFFICIAL) November 19, 2020
This is why FB will be sued successfully. I have never engaged in “hate” speech. A picture of someone carrying lady liberty cannot be hate speech. People talking about defending Americans while protesting also not hate speech. All will be proven in court for the group and myself https://t.co/JCbJprNlLc
— TRAPT (@TRAPTOFFICIAL) November 21, 2020
On Friday (November 20), Edward Norton offered his explanation for Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the US Presidential election, likening the outgoing Commander-in-Chief’s political tactics to a poker game.
“I do not think Trump is trying to ‘make his base happy’ or ‘laying the groundwork for his own network,’ or that ‘chaos is what he loves,’” Norton wrote.
“The core of it is that he knows he’s in deep, multi-dimensional legal jeopardy and this defines his every action.”
Trapt’s twitter account quoted tweeted the thread, calling Norton “unhinged”.
