Facebook Limits #SaveOurChildren Hashtag Due to QAnon Links

Facebook has recently announced it is restricting the reach of the hashtag “save our children.” This decision follows a growing association between the phrase—and similar ones—and the QAnon conspiracy theory. These terms have functioned as a seemingly harmless front for the widely circulated online conspiracy movement.

A representative from the social media company verified this action today, emphasizing that resources dedicated to child safety will be given priority in search results over content potentially linked to QAnon.

“We increased our enforcement of policies concerning QAnon on pages, events, and groups earlier this week,” a spokesperson communicated to TechCrunch. “Beginning today, we are limiting the distribution of the ‘save our children’ hashtag because we’ve determined that content connected to it is now associated with QAnon. Individuals searching for the hashtag will now be directed to trustworthy child safety resources.”

In early October, Facebook initiated measures to eliminate the network of harmful conspiracy theories by prohibiting QAnon content on both Facebook and Instagram. The company had previously declared a ban on QAnon groups that “discussed potential violence,” but the expanded prohibition demonstrated a more thorough understanding of how these conspiracies attract and radicalize individuals. This ban has, in fact, been notably effective thus far, making it harder for QAnon-related material and accounts to gain visibility and spread.

During the summer months, the platform began to address QAnon-related hashtags, such as SaveTheChildren. It even temporarily blocked the phrase, which, for approximately a century, has been connected to nonprofit organizations focused on youth. “We temporarily blocked the hashtag due to the appearance of low-quality content,” Facebook explained to the media at the time. “The hashtag has since been reinstated, and we will continue to monitor content for violations of our community guidelines.”

However, by that point, the movement had already expanded beyond social media, with numerous large rallies taking place across the United States and in various international locations. Organizers have generally claimed to be protesting child exploitation, encompassing accusations of pedophilia within the Hollywood community and expressing outrage over the Netflix film “Cuties.”

In August, the U.S.-based Save the Children Federation, Inc. issued a statement to clarify its position and disassociate itself from the trend. “Our name, when used as a hashtag, has been experiencing unusually high usage and is causing confusion among our supporters and the public,” the organization stated. “In the United States, Save the Children is the exclusive owner of the registered trademark ‘Save the Children.’ While individuals may choose to utilize our organization’s name as a hashtag to express their views on different matters, we are not affiliated with or endorse any of these campaigns.”

Facebook’s efforts to suppress QAnon and related #SaveTheChildren content follow years of allowing the dangerous conspiracy theory group to flourish on its platform, progressing from the periphery of online activity to a central position. While President Trump and a small number of Republican politicians sympathetic to QAnon have amplified the conspiracies, mainstream social networks enabled followers to disseminate the purported revelations of so-called “Q drops” from the obscure and often extremist message board 8chan into the mainstream of American political discourse.

Some individuals encounter conspiracy content by chance, but algorithmic recommendations on platforms like Facebook and YouTube are known to guide users from the initial stages of conspiracies like QAnon toward their more radical core beliefs. Committed QAnon believers have been linked to several instances of real-world violence, including an armed takeover of the Hoover Dam. Matthew Wright, who pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge for obstructing a bridge, explained in a video that his actions were prompted by President Trump’s failure to arrest his political adversaries, a source of disappointment for QAnon adherents. Last year, a 29-year-old QAnon follower fatally shot a mob boss whom he believed to be part of the “deep state”—a common theme among QAnon followers.