Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Facebook is removing content that potentially names the anonymous whistleblower who sparked a presidential impeachment inquiry, saying it violates rules against “coordinating harm” on the platform. The decision follows an earlier choice to remove ads featuring the name — which Republican political figures, including Donald *****, Jr., have publicized on Twitter.
BuzzFeed reported attempts to spread the alleged whistleblower’s name earlier this week, confirming that Facebook would remove ads targeting them. BuzzFeed noted that the person, a former Obama administration staffer and current CIA officer, has been a target for conservative commentators since 2017. But recent articles by the conservative sites Real Clear Investigations and…