Free States Militia is a well-known role-playing group in Fallout 76. However, it was temporarily banned on Facebook. The members of the group suspect that they were too close to reality in the USA with their name.
What happened? As reported by PCGamesN, the role-playing group “Free States Militia” was deleted on Facebook without warning or reason given. The private accounts of the admins were also suspended. As a result, the leaders of the group lost access to all friend lists, pictures, and content from the past years.
After some complaints from the members, also via other social networks, Facebook unlocked the admins and restored the group.
PCGamesN received the following message from Facebook regarding the reason for the suspension:
We apologize for mistakenly removing the group for Fallout 76 and have since restored the accounts of the group and the admins.
However, Facebook did not disclose the reason for the suspension. The members of Free States Militia, however, have a strong suspicion.
Is the group Free States Militia too close to reality?
What could the reason for the suspension be? Bobby, one of the admins of the group, expressed the suspicion that they may have come into Facebook’s focus due to the word “Militia”:
The situation in the world is currently quite tense. Understandably, platforms want to protect their members from certain things; however, many real and societal issues are also presented in video games. So there is a lot of unnecessary terminology and wordiness. Games are increasingly aimed at adults, and that means adult themes.
Bobby, one of the admins, to PCGamesN
What exactly is meant by that? The current situation in America, Facebook’s home, is quite tense. The country is struggling with multiple issues, which are manifesting in various protests, including the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
The protest researcher Margit Mayer stated in June to ZDF:
The USA is currently dealing with a triple disaster: Corona, the resulting economic crisis with over 40 million unemployed who also lose their health insurance with their jobs. Many people are additionally losing their homes because they can no longer pay rent or mortgages.
And the difficult relationship of the (still) predominantly white population with ethnic minorities adds to it.
With the protests come looting, vandalism, and even violence against people.
The presidential elections between Trump and Biden are also heating up the mood.
What does this have to do with Facebook? On Facebook, many previously private groups used to exchange information with each other and like-minded individuals. Nevertheless, these groups are not a lawless space.
Facebook has therefore reacted and announced changes on September 17. Measures were taken to “reduce harmful content and misinformation”.
Additionally, organizations and movements that pose a “significant risk to public safety” were reviewed, including militia organizations and groups that support violence in protests.
With their name “Free State Militia”, the role-playing group could have come exactly into this focus. In fact, it is an organization that is anarchistic and wants to form a new society (via Wiki). Just in Appalachia, the game world, and not in reality.
Since Facebook has since unlocked everyone again, restored the group, and has not punished anyone, it seems to have indeed been an error.
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