Russell Brand's social media accounts disabled by Meta
Meta has disabled Russell Brand's social media accounts following his conviction for rape and sexual assault. The move aligns with Meta's community standards regarding convicted sex offenders, while Brand continues to maintain an active presence on X.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing debate regarding the power of private tech platforms to deplatform public figures and the enforcement of safety policies.
Image source, Reuters By Helena Wilkinson News correspondent Published 25 minutes ago Russell Brand's social media accounts on platforms owned by tech company Meta have been disabled.
It comes after the 51-year-old former entertainer was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years in jail for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault earlier this week.
He was found guilty of the charges involving four women and relating to offences between 2004 and 2009.
Meta owns social media platforms including Instagram and Facebook.
Brand is currently in prison and is expected to serve seven years of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence.
On Thursday evening, a post appeared on his X account, which remains active. "There was never a Russell Brand, according to @meta," it read.
"Thank God for @elonmusk," the message added, referring to X's owner. "Stay tuned," it concluded.
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2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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