Meta has banned controversial online influencer Andrew Tate from Facebook and Instagram for violating its policies.
Andrew Tate is accused of spreading misogynistic messages to millions of followers. Photo: Supplied / Instagram
The 35-year-old former kickboxer has an audience in the millions on social media and is notorious for his opinions on women.
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said the company removed Tate's official accounts from the social media platforms for violating the company's policies "on dangerous organisations and individuals".
Commentary has been sought by the ABC from Meta.
Why has Andrew Tate been removed?
Tate rapidly rose to prominence on social media in the last few months, accused of spreading misogynistic messaging, with TikTok coming under fire for promoting his content to minors.
While anti-violence advocates have become increasingly concerned about the growing size of his following, anti-domestic violence campaigner Tarang Chawla said Tate's banning was really only "the first step".
"[Tate's] rise is telling of a culture of masculinity that is in need of guidance," Mr Chawla said.
"I feel relief he's now not able to use Facebook and Instagram, but we have to acknowledge his videos are still shared on TikTok."
Chawla said the opinions shared online, particularly to impressionable youth, could be harmful and was an opportunity for redirection.
"Those young boys are in need of guidance, direction and purpose. And this raises the need for a broader conversation about modern masculinity. Why are young men attracted to him?
"They are looking for an idea of what being a man means. We need to acknowledge that and provide better alternatives."
Andrew Tate's rise on social media
Last month, Tate generated more Google searches than Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian combined.
In videos posted online, Tate, who poses with cars or guns and portrays himself as a cigar-smoking playboy, talks about hitting women and stopping them from going out.
Videos using hashtags related to Andrew Tate have been viewed more than 12.7 billion times.
At the time of his ban from Meta platforms, Tate had more than 4.7 million followers on Instagram.
He first rose to prominence after appearing on the TV show Big Brother in the UK in 2016, when he was forced to leave the series after a video of him whipping a woman with a belt surfaced.
Tate went on to gain notoriety online in 2017 after saying women should "bear some responsibility" for being sexually assaulted, after which Twitter permanently banned him from the platform.
In his latest response to the Meta booting, Tate said in a statement to a UK newspaper that his Instagram account was banned because old videos "where I was playing a comedic character" were "taken out of context".
"I have nothing but positivity to spread regarding all people, whether male or female, and this has been reflected in all of my recent messaging and posts," Tate said in the statement.
He claimed Instagram ignored his charities supporting women and his videos explaining that his mother was his hero.
Born in Chicago and raised in Luton, England, Tate now lives in Romania.
- ABC