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.

Tell Facebook to stop allowing politicians to spread lies
and misinformation.   
  

[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION
Dear John,  

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 prevent the destruction of
our democracy.^1 

Most recently, Zuckerberg allowed politicians to break the rules and lie
on Facebook about the upcoming election, leading millions of people to
believe that mail-in ballots will result in voter fraud.^2 These kinds of
falsehoods spread like wildfire and are transparent attempts to suppress
our votes. Too often, politicians get away with breaking Facebook’s rules
because Zuckerberg continually allows accommodations for politicians that
exclude them from following the same Facebook rules you and I must follow
every day. With one of the most important elections of our time looming,
we cannot afford for Zuckerberg to supercharge voter suppression by
keeping up special rules for politicians. 

[ [link removed] ]Tell Mark Zuckerberg to end special rules for politicians.  

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.^3 Currently,
these kinds of exceptions enable 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.”^4 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.^5        

[ [link removed] ]Politicians should not be immune from the rules. Tell Facebook to end
accommodations for politicians. 

We are less than five months away from the presidential election, and
Facebook’s giant policy loopholes let politicians spread unchecked voter
suppression, harassment, and lies. 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. These policies,
which exempt politicians’ lies from the same community standards you and I
must abide by, infect Facebook with injustice and inequality. 

[ [link removed] ]End Facebook's special rules for politicians NOW.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

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


--------------------------------------------------------------------------



[ [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

<style type="text/css">

blockquote .original-only,
.WordSection1 .original-only
{
display: none !important;
}

</style>

<div class=".original-only">

You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
</div>