| Friend,
This just in: According to a new report, Facebook has made millions by promoting content from hate groups — including white-supremacist organizations.1
The report comes on the heels of changes that Facebook has made over the last year that have the potential to better combat racism and other forms of hate on its platform — including a ban on explicit white-nationalist and white-separatist content.2 But these changes haven’t gone far enough.
That’s why Free Press joined civil-rights leaders from around the country today at the #CivilRightsxTech town hall to talk to Facebook about what the company needs to do to ensure that people of color, immigrants and other marginalized communities can be safe, full and equal participants on the platform.
Tell Zuckerberg: Put your money where your mouth is. Stop putting profits over the lives of women, people of color, immigrants, religious minorities, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disabilities.
There are many examples of Facebook falling down on the job. The company has allowed countless pieces of hateful content to thrive on its platform even when they violate its Community Standards, Terms of Service and Ad Policies. Here are just a few examples: Failing to take down an event page for an armed protest outside a gathering of the Islamic Society of North America event in August (until several leading civil-rights groups coordinated a pressure campaign) Allowing President Trump’s Facebook page to run more than 2,000 ads referring to immigration and immigrants of color — particularly people from Central and South America — as an “invasion.”3 Failing to remove sponsored content from a hate group that advocates for executing people in the United States who “have LGBTQ sex.”4 Tell Facebook: Stop paying lip service to protecting your users. Policies mean nothing without proper enforcement.
Thanks for all that you do—
Heather, Nilda, Carmen, Jessica and the rest of the Free Press team
freepress.net
P.S. Urge Facebook to ensure that white supremacists can’t use this powerful platform to coordinate online and offline attacks on marginalized communities.
1. “Facebook Is Making Millions by Promoting Hate Groups’ Content,” Sludge, Sept. 25, 2019: https://act.freepress.net/go/35034?t=8&akid=13412%2E10296224%2E8VNiFh 2. “Facebook Civil Rights Audit Says White Supremacy Policy Is ‘Too Narrow,’” TechCrunch, June 30, 2019: https://act.freepress.net/go/35035?t=10&akid=13412%2E10296224%2E8VNiFh 3. “Facebook Let Trump's Campaign Run Over 2,000 Ads Referring to Immigration as an ‘Invasion,’” Media Matters, Aug. 5, 2019: https://act.freepress.net/go/32071?t=12&akid=13412%2E10296224%2E8VNiFh 4. “Facebook Is Making Millions by Promoting Hate Groups’ Content,” Sludge, Sept. 25, 2019: https://act.freepress.net/go/35034?t=14&akid=13412%2E10296224%2E8VNiFh |
