Facebook removes Trump ads featuring symbol linked to Nazis

Facebook on Thursday took down Trump campaign ads that featured a symbol used by Nazis to designate political prisoners, saying the posts breached the platform’s policy on hate.

“We removed these posts and ads for violating our policy against organised hate,’’ a Facebook spokesperson told dpa in an emailed statement.

“Our policy prohibits using a banned hate group’s symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol.’’

A red inverted triangle appeared prominently in paid posts on the Facebook pages of President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and the “Team Trump” campaign.

The ads bashed Antifa, a loose movement of far-left, anti-fascist militant groups.

“The Nazis used red triangles to identify their political victims in concentration camps,’’ Jonathan Greenblatt, Chief Executive of the Anti-Defamation League said on Twitter.

“Using it to attack political opponents is highly offensive.

“@POTUS’ campaign needs to learn its history, as ignorance is no excuse for using Nazi-related symbols.’’

The Trump campaign sought to deflect criticism by saying the red triangle is “a symbol widely used by Antifa.”

Facebook has been under fire for its hands-off approach to political advertising, largely exempting politicians’ posts from fact checks.

Facebook boss, Mark Zuckerberg, recently pledged to review the social network’s policies, after coming under pressure from the public and his own employees after Twitter placed a “public interest notice” on a Trump post for violating the platform’s rules “about glorifying violence”, a move not mirrored by Facebook.