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Major Advertising Technology Company Bars Breitbart News for Hate Speech

AppNexus takes a stand as bigger rivals, Google and Facebook, face scrutiny over their handling of 'fake news'
Steve Bannon, former executive chairman of Breitbart.

Steve Bannon, former executive chairman of Breitbart.

Photographer: Paul Marotta/Getty Images for SiriusXM

AppNexus Inc., operator of one of the biggest digital advertising services, has barred Breitbart News from using its ad-serving tools because the conservative online publisher violated its hate speech rules. 

AppNexus scrutinized Breitbart's website after U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump tapped Steve Bannon, former executive chairman of Breitbart, to be White House chief strategist last week. The digital ad firm decided the publication had breached a policy against content that incites violence, said AppNexus spokesman Joshua Zeitz.