A group of Fallout 76 players going by the name the “Free States Militia” was banned from Facebook last week when the group was seemingly mistaken for an actual militia. The group’s admins were also banned from using the social media site altogether, as a result. The group shared the news via its official Twitter account, in which the moderator expressed their sadness over the fact that all pictures and lore had seemingly been lost following the ban. Facebook has struggled with hate speech on its platform, and the page was likely targeted by an algorithm looking for certain key words. The Tweet announcing the ban can be found embedded below.
Videos by ComicBook.com
So @Facebook just banned our page and banned all admins from our Gaming group. This is what censorship in the US looks like! When @Facebook cant tell the difference from video games and real life. We just lost 2 years of lore and pictures. @DCDeacon @fchadfallout76
— FSM Playstation Video Game Club (@Free_StatesMil) October 1, 2020
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Facebook to reverse course on the decision. After an outpouring of support from other Fallout 76 fans, as well as employees of Bethesda, the page was reinstated the following day. However, the whole thing is a bit surreal, and it should have been clear from the start that the Free States Militia was simply a group of Fallout 76 fans. The group posted an image of its Facebook page on Twitter, announcing the group’s return. In the image, you can see that both “Fallout 76” and “PS4” are in the page’s title. It’s unclear, however, if this was added after the fact, in order to prevent a future mix-up.
WE ARE BACK! THANK YOU @fchadfallout76 @FFive0 @VulturesThe @Thewolf_1120 @Hxrrinho @GamerGrl_fsm @S_Kowalskov @Fallout76Overs1 @CherryPixel4 @fsmcannibal77 @skadi_the @LaptopCoffee @Aqua_AMP @OrderOfTheLamp @AppalachiaHowie @Bundicot @NukaGals pic.twitter.com/RppkwEhzmz
— FSM Playstation Video Game Club (@Free_StatesMil) October 2, 2020
Now that the Free States Militia has been reinstated on the platform, the group’s members can go back to showcasing their passion for Bethesda’s first-person shooter. Fallout 76 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.
Are you a fan of Fallout 76? What do you think of the group’s removal from Facebook? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
