In the aftermath of a tumultuous and tragic weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, ignited by opposition to the city's decision to remove a Robert E. Lee statue and fueled by slur-slinging and violence, a small group of technology companies have leveraged their contractual powers to rebuke white nationalism, banning specific users from their platforms over their views.

The decisions by these companies are entirely legal, said several experts, and they are largely protected from potential litigation from users.

“Services that choose not to deal with white supremacists, Nazis, or those who support them, are free to not do so,” said Eric Goldman, law professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law.