After notifying upstart children’s imprint its account was “permanently disabled” for advertising illustrated biographies of Ronald Reagan, Thomas Sowell, and Amy Coney Barrett, the social media giant now claims the censorship was an “error.”
Facebook did an abrupt about-face Monday after conservatives shamed the social media platform for punishing a right-leaning book publisher.
The Big Tech giant restored the ad account for Heroes of Liberty, a new children’s book company celebrating icons like President Ronald Reagan and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in print.
The company, which publishes illustrated biographies of notable figures, poured most of its marketing budget into Facebook’s targeted ad capabilities to boost its Nov. 14 launch.
“We wanted to build a community around our mission, and the biggest social platform in the world seems like a good place to establish our brand,” said Bethany Mandel, an editor and board member of Heroes of Liberty.
Facebook blocked her company’s ad account Dec. 23, and Heroes of Liberty swiftly appealed the move. Facebook’s reply? It permanently disabled the account, citing its “disruptive content.”
“We never thought we would be banned,” said Mandel, noting her company invested most of its marketing budget on the social media giant. “If we thought it would be possible, we wouldn’t have chosen Facebook to start with.”
The block happened before the social media giant removed a post by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over the weekend for allegedly violating Facebook’s policies.
Facebook policy communications manager Andy Stone confirmed the company’s change of heart regarding Heroes of Liberty on Twitter.
Mandel said Stone, who previously served under progressive Sen. Barbara Boxer and with the House Democratic campaign arm DCCC, shared the update with prominent conservatives like Fox News’ Brit Hume, Mary Katharine Ham and “several members of Congress,” but not her or anyone from her company.
“They only reinstated us because we made a big enough stink,” Mandel said. “We’re not even important enough to notify.”
A “Hero of Liberty,” according to the company, “is a person who either promoted freedom, faith, or family values, or lived a virtuous life of self-reliance, creativity, or devotion in light of those sacred principles.”
Read Full Article on JustTheNews.com
