Facebook blocks new events near key locations before U.S. inauguration

Facebook Inc said on Friday it was blocking the creation of any new Facebook events in close proximity to places such as the White House and U.S. Capitol in Washington, as well as state capitol buildings, through Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

In a blog post on Friday, the social media company also said it would conduct a review of all Facebook events related to the inauguration and take down events that violated its rules.

The move follows violence in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday when supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol following weeks of increased violent rhetoric and organizing on social media sites.

The FBI has warned of armed protests being planned for Washington and all 50 state capitals in the run-up to Jan. 20.

Facebook also said it was imposing some other restrictions, such as blocking certain accounts from creating live videos, creating events or being a page or group administrator, “based on signals such as repeat violations of our policies.”