Mark Zuckerberg continues to let right-wing politicians
spread lies, misinformation, and hatred on Facebook.    

[ [link removed] ]Image with red background features Mark Zuckerberg with
a blindfold over his eyes. Over the read background are
words like "voter suppression," "lies," and
"misinformation" to demonstrate the problems on Facebook
that Zuckerberg ignores.

Chip in monthly to help us keep fighting against Facebook's
blatant disregard for civil rights.   
  

[ [link removed] ]CHIP IN
Dear John,  

[ [link removed] ]John, we need your help to keep misinformation from
spreading on Facebook.  

Here we are again, demanding Mark Zuckerberg choose civil rights over
allowing the spread of misinformation, outright lies, and hate speech on
Facebook’s platforms. Even though Rashad and I met with him less than two
weeks ago, Zuckerberg still refuses to institute civil rights protections
that will protect Black people from harm and stop politicians from
spreading misinformation.^1 

For five years we’ve been pushing Facebook to institute clear policies
that create accountability for users who spread misinformation, lies, and
hatred on the platform and holding them accountable when they violate our
rights and put our communities in harm's way. In that time, we’ve won
important victories that better protect our communities, but the fight
before us is the most important one yet. With one of the most important
elections of our time looming, we cannot afford for Zuckerberg to
supercharge voter suppression by giving candidates free passes to spread
election misinformation and call for violence against our communities.  

To win this fight, we need your support, John. We are less than
five months from election day, and we've seen campaigns ramping up
misinformation and voter suppression efforts on Facebook. John,
will you become a monthly backer of our work to protect our rights and
democracy from Facebook? 

[ [link removed] ]Yes! I will contribute $5 monthly to fight voter suppression on
Facebook.   

This doesn’t just impact the spread of misinformation; it also harms Black
people. In the 2016 election, for example, Facebook’s lax rules led to
foreign interference that targeted Black social media users.^2 Currently,
it enables right-wing users to share information that violates civil
rights laws and drives real-world violence toward Black people. In May,
for example, Donald Trump threatened protestors through a Facebook post,
saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”^3 Donald Trump has
also been continuously attacking voting by mail, sharing outrageous, false
claims that mail-in ballots will lead to a ‘rigged election’ and
‘fraudulent’ voting.^4      

[ [link removed] ]Chip in $5 monthly to our fight against lies, misinformation, and voter
suppression.  

We are less than five months away from the presidential election, and
Facebook’s willful exemption of candidates from the rules lets voter
suppression, harassment, and lies spread. By not fact-checking politicians
and allowing them to mislead the public regarding voting methods, Facebook
is setting a dangerous precedent ahead of the 2020 election. Zuckerberg’s
exemptions infect Facebook with injustice and inequality, and we must
continue to hold him accountable for choosing candidates over protecting
our communities. 

[ [link removed] ]Make a $5 monthly contribution to our fight to protect our democracy.

Until justice is real, 
—Arisha, Rashad, Brandi, Jade, Johnny, Amanda, Marie, Evan, Imani, Eesha,
Samantha, Jennette, Ciera, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of
Change team

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References:

 1. “Will Zuckerberg Dump Trump or continue to serve him?” The Guardian,
July 17, 2020,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 2. “Russian 2016 Influence Operation Targeted African-Americans on Social
Media,” The New York Times, December 17, 2018,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 3. “The racist history of Trump’s ‘When the looting starts, the shooting
starts’ tweet,” Vox, May 29, 2020,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 4. “‘Outright Lies:’ Voting Misinformation Flourishes on Facebook,”
ProPublica, July 16, 2020,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]


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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please
help keep our movement strong.

[ [link removed] ]Make a Donation

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