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[ [link removed] ]Free Press

Friend,

As first responders in the Los Angeles area are fighting to contain the fires that have devastated the region, local officials are scrambling to counter misleading posts that claim looters have been stealing items from abandoned homes1 and that the iconic Hollywood sign was on fire.2 Elon Musk and Donald Trump amplified the same looting claims on Twitter, placing the blame on Gov. Gavin Newsom and politicizing the most destructive disaster in the city’s history.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: We saw this kind of deceit in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina last fall.3 During these kinds of crises, when people are most anxious for information, dangerous lies go viral — often impacting marginalized groups the most.

This is our new reality, and it’s just ramping up. Meta’s move to abandon fact checking on Facebook and Instagram and adopt a “Community Notes” model — following in Twitter’s footsteps — ushers in a chilling era in which Big Tech aligns with dangerous demagogues like Trump.

Free Press will do whatever it takes to fight disinformation and hold social-media companies like Meta accountable. Will you make your very first donation to Free Press today? Your gift will help sustain this urgent work in the weeks and months to come.

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After the Meta announcement, we asked supporters like you about the decision and whether you’ve encountered online disinformation in your own lives. Here’s what we learned from more than 3,000 responses:

* 47% of you are ready to leave Facebook & Instagram behind.

* 35% are unsure.

* 18% are choosing to stay.

Nearly all respondents documented experiences with disinformation in their own lives, such as losing relationships over conspiracy theories and having difficulty finding timely information online in times of crisis. We even heard from educators about their efforts to prepare young minds for the dangers of misinformation and misleading sources.

It it doesn’t have to be this way. Big Tech companies are not untouchable: No matter how powerful and useful they’ve become to all of us, everyday users can and do decide to walk away at any time.

Time and time again, we’ve exposed tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg for the unchecked spread of disinformation and hate. And we’re not stopping now: Make an urgent donation to Free Press today to help us keep up the fight for truth.

Thank you for your support,

Nora and the rest of us at Free Press

P.S. My colleague Jenna Ruddock recently published a must-read piece exposing the allyship between tech billionaires and the political right.

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1. “Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Looters Carrying Items From Homes Amid LA Fires,” Lead Stories, January 10, 2025.

2. “Fact Check: Hollywood sign not affected by Los Angeles wildfires,” Reuters, January 10, 2025.

3. “US Right Wing Fans Misinformation Fires as Firefighters Battle Los Angeles Blazes,” The Guardian, Jan. 10, 2025