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# Political purge of UK Facebook underway
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/political-purge-of-uk-facebook-underway/
- Published: 2011-04-29T15:04:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-22T09:51:22.000Z
- Description: There appears to be a purge of political Facebook taking place
- Author: Guy Aitchison
- Tags: Europe, #Migrated, Politics & activism, United Kingdom, Democracy and government, UK, Civil Society, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 15:45, #appended-excerpt

There appears to be a political purge of Facebook taking place. Profiles are being deleted without warning or explanation. In the last 12 hours, Facebook has deleted over 50 sites. It may well be that these groups are technically in violation of Facebook’s terms of agreement, which state that participants in social media must not make use of a "fake name". But the timing – on the royal wedding and May day weekend – is deeply suspicious. We don’t know for certain, but this purge of online organising groups could be linked to the [wider crackdown](http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/guy-aitchison/political-policing-in-britain-ahead-of-big-day) on protest by authorities in Britain.

Either way, it is a scandalous abuse of power by Facebook to arbitrarily destroy online communities built up over many months and years. These groups provide a vital means for activist groups to communicate with their supporters. Ultimately, the anti-cuts movement in the UK will need to start organising through self-hosted, open source platforms to avoid reliance upon the very corporate power structures we are aiming to challenge. In the meantime, those affected should look into the origins of this and do our best to have these accounts restored. Please join the [Facebook group](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Social-Network-Censorship/145984358805461), spread the word and message people in extant groups to warn them. Tell them to get on your email list or Twitter account instead.

**Update:** I am in indirect contact with Facebook over this. Collaboration with the authorities can still not be ruled out. We need a list of URLs to confront them with to get these accounts restored. Please post URLs here.

**Update II:** Facebook forced to respond to our campaign for restoration of accounts. See [here](http://blog.ucloccupation.com/2011/04/29/facebook-forced-to-respond-to-our-campaign-for-restoration-of-accounts/?ref=opendemocracy.net).

Facebook pages that have been deleted:

AntiCuts Space London  
Freedom Is a State of Mind  
Ourland Freeland  
Open Birkbeck  
UWE Occupation  
Chesterfield Stopthecuts  
Camberwell AntiCuts  
IVA Womensrevolution  
Tower Hamlets Greens  
No Cuts  
ArtsAgainst Cuts  
London Student Assembly  
Beat’n Streets  
Roscoe ‘Manchester’ Occupation  
Bristol Bookfair  
Newcastle Occupation  
Socialist Unity  
Whospeaks Forus  
Ourland FreeLand  
Bristol Ukuncut  
Teampalestina Shaf  
Notts-Uncut Part-of UKUncut  
No Quarter Cutthewar  
Bootle Labour  
Claimants Fightback  
Ecosocialists Unite  
Comrade George Orwell  
Jason Derrick  
Anarchista Rebellionist  
BigSociety Leeds  
Slade Occupation  
Anti-Cuts Across Wigan  
Firstof Mayband  
Don’t Break Britain United  
Cockneyreject  
SWP Cork  
Westiminster Trades Council  
York Anarchists  
Rock War  
Sheffield Occupation  
Central London SWP  
North London Solidarity  
Southwark Sos  
Save NHS  
Rochdale Law Centre  
Goldsmiths Fights Back  
Occupy Monaco

There appears to be a purge of political Facebook taking place