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Reuters
Reuters
Business

New Zealand PM welcomes Facebook bans on white nationalism, separatism

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attends a news conference after meeting with first responders who were at the scene of the Christchurch mosque shooting, in Christchurch, New Zealand March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that she welcomed Facebook Inc's decision to ban praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its social media platforms.

"Arguably these categories should always fall within the community guidelines of hate speech, but nevertheless it's positive the clarification has now been made in the wake of the attack in Christchurch," she said at a press conference.

Facebook's ban was a shift in policy after criticism by civil rights groups that it was failing to confront extremism.

People visit a memorial site for victims of Friday's shooting, in front of the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Ardern said 59 countries will send diplomatic representatives to a national remembrance service on Friday.

(Reporting by John Mair and Praveen Menon)

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