MENLO PARK (AP) – After banning Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan for his repeated anti-Semitic comments, Facebook announced that it would deplatform anyone using Facebook to promote “dangerous” ideologies. New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Junior Senator Bernie Sanders – high profile promoters of socialism – were among those subsequently banned by the social media giant.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was simply “a matter of conscience.”

“In the last century, anti-Semitism was a murderous ideology responsible for the deaths of millions of people,” Zuckerberg said. “Also in the last century, socialism was a murderous ideology responsible for the deaths of millions of people. It’d be irresponsible of me – and my conscience would not let me sleep at night – if I banned one and not the other.”

Although recent victims of deplatforming were quick to complain that their free speech rights were violated, Zuckerberg was unsympathetic.

“The First Amendment applies to government,” clarified Zuckerberg, “not to private companies. These people are still free to start their own websites and say anything they want. That’s what I did. Facebook didn’t get huge because I had a popular Twitter account.”

“Also,” Zuckerberg continued, “the fact that you’ve heard about their complaints means they’ve been inconvenienced, not silenced. I never promised anyone convenience. Or privacy, for that matter. Read your Terms of Service agreement sometime. Took 1000 lawyers on 1000 typewriters 1000 years to make that thing. I’ve heard Spartan Armor Systems is using it in their new line of bulletproof vests.”

In a series of Tweets, Ocasio-Cortez protested Facebook’s actions.

“It’s ridiculous to censor me just because I believe in socialism. As an American, I have every right to share my beliefs in the marketplace of ideas. A free marketplace of ideas. One not controlled by Facebook or anyone else. How ridiculous would it be to empower some faceless, bureaucratic behemoth with the ability to have control over a marketplace? I can’t imagine any way for that to not end badly.”

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