Meta has deactivated the Instagram and Facebook accounts belonging to British actor and comedian Russell Brand, days after he was convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault in the United Kingdom and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
Brand posted a screenshot reading, “We disabled your account. Our technology found your account, or your activity on it, doesn’t follow our rules.”
According to reports, the accounts were taken down for violating Meta’s Community Standards, with the company relying on its Account Integrity Policy, which allows it to restrict or disable accounts associated with harmful conduct occurring outside its platforms.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that Brand’s Instagram account had been removed because it violated the company’s policies.
The screenshots of the account suspension notifications were shared through Brand’s X account, which is still active with 10 million followers.
Brand reacted to removal of his account after sharing the screenshots of the notifications and criticizing the decision made by Meta.
“There was never a Russell Brand, according to @ Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned,” he wrote.
It is not clear who published the screenshots on his behalf following his imprisonment.
