Facebook is not showing any search results when the query “Kyle Rittenhouse” is entered into the social media platform’s search bar.
A search for Rittenhouse’s full name yields only a message informing the user that Facebook did not find any results and a prompt to check one’s spelling. Rittenhouse, a 18-year-old from Illinois, is currently on trial for allegedly shooting three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a riot in August 2020. (RELATED: Maryland Official Fired After Posting ‘Divisive’ Memes Supporting Kenosha Shooter)
A screenshot of Facebook’s search function on the tech platform’s browser application showing no results for search query “Kyle Rittenhouse.”(Screenshot/Facebook/Daily Caller News Foundation)
It’s not clear why search results are not appearing; Facebook did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for an explanation. When just Rittenhouse’s last name is entered, Facebook shows search results.
Facebook previously admitted to blocking search results for “Kyle Rittenhouse” in August 2020, immediately following the Kenosha shooting.
“It’s not actually new,” a Facebook representative told The Verge at the time. “We block searches for a ton of stuff – for instance, child exploitation content.”
Facebook currently has a policy of banning all content in praise of Rittenhouse or glorifying his actions, having placed the teen on a “dangerous individuals and organizations,” a company spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Facebook had also designated the Kenosha shooting a “mass murder” at the time of the shooting according to Vice President of Counterterrorism and Dangerous Organizations Brian Fishman, and had removed Rittenhouse’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“We are also removing praise and support of the shooter and have also blocked searches of his name on our platforms,” Fishman said.
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