Says First Lady Melania Trump posted a photo of herself "yesterday" and Facebook took it down.
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No, Facebook did not take down a close-up photo of Melania Trump
A photograph of First Lady Melania Trump was, according to one viral Facebook post, taken down by the platform a day after she posted it.
The post, which has received more than 90,000 shares, displays a close-up image of the First Lady from a 2007 Fashion Week event wearing a black fur hat. It reads:
"Our 1st Lady posted this yesterday FB took it down make it go viral [sic]."
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Neither the first lady nor her team posted this photo on the social media platform. Facebook did not (and would not) take it down.
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Facebook told us that its tools confirmed the photo was not found or shared on any of Melania Trump’s accounts, which comprises "Melania Trump," "First Lady Melania Trump," and her personal Facebook profile, which appears to be private.
The company says it only removes a post if it goes against its Community Standards, which includes gun and drug sales, hate speech, nudity, and terrorist activity.
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"We take something down from Facebook if it goes against our Community Standards, which are designed to encourage expression and create a safe environment," a post on Facebook’s help center says. "The number of times something is reported doesn't determine whether or not it's removed from Facebook. We use the same guidelines each time we review whether a profile goes against our Community Standards."
A simple close-up photo of Melania Trump from 2007 does not violate any of Facebook standards.
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Our Sources
Facebook post, Nov. 3, 2019
Getty Images, Melania Trump at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007, Accessed Dec. 5, 2019
USA Today, These are Facebook's secret rules for removing posts, April 24, 2018
Facebook Help Center, Does the number of times something gets reported determine whether or not that content is removed?,
Facebook, Community Standards, Accessed Dec. 5, 2019
Email interview, Facebook spokesperson, Dec. 5, 2019
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No, Facebook did not take down a close-up photo of Melania Trump
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