Facebook has not done enough to protect our democracy and the wellbeing of Black people and needs to act on the civil rights audit recommendations immediately.

Image that reads "It's been a year. Facebook, do something" in front of a calendar. The bottom of the image is filled with thumbs down buttons. The corner of the image is the Color Of Change logo.

Dear John, 

One year ago, in response to Facebook doubling down on their refusal to remove calls to violence against Black protestors, we launched our “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign. Together, with our partners and Color Of Change members like you, we successfully compelled an unprecedented 1,200 business partners to withdraw millions of dollars in advertising from Facebook for failing to protect Black users and community stakeholders.1 The boycott increased the pressure we placed on Facebook to respond, resulting in them agreeing to some of our long standing demands, including creating a senior role to oversee civil rights at the company and a dedicated team to study algorithmic racial bias.2

Despite these important changes, Facebook continues to fall far short of adequately addressing the harms they cause our communities. For the last year, Facebook has refused to publicly address the full set of recommendations from the independent civil rights audit Color Of Change pressured Facebook to undergo. This audit, led by outside civil rights experts, investigated every corner of the company to identify harms resulting from Facebook’s policies, products, and decisions. The nearly 100-page audit showed rampant failures at Facebook to address civil rights issues such as voter suppression of and organized hate against Black people.3 

Instead of implementing the recommendations set out in the audit, Facebook continues to sink to new lows—they said they banned Trump for two years, then let him run ads for his June rally and fundraise to further line his pockets.4 Demand that Facebook publicly implement the crucial recommendations of the civil rights audit and adopt Color Of Change’s new #BeyondTheStatement Tech Framework to undo the policies, practices, and products that continue to manufacture race-based discrimination and inequity.5

SIGN THE PETITION

Without enacting the full set of recommendations, Facebook continues to prioritize profit over any cost. This has already resulted in Facebook supercharging misinformation during the 2020 election and providing Trump and other right-wing extremist groups with unprecedented tools that made organizing the insurrection possible.6,7 Facebook side-stepped decisive action to permanently ban Trump and has instead opened the door for his return ahead of the 2024 presidential election season.8 The company is on course to repeat its failures, imperiling Black lives and democracy once again. 

We cannot let Facebook forget the danger it poses to the physical and digital lives of Black people the longer it refuses to enact the civil rights audit recommendations. Add your name to the petition. 

SIGN THE PETITION

Until justice is real, 

—Jade Magnus Ogunnaike and the Color Of Change team

References:

  1. Stop Hate for Profit, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/254768?t=7&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP. 
  2. Shannon Bond, “Over 400 Advertisers Hit Pause On Facebook, Threatening $70 Billion Juggernaut,” NPR, July 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311570?t=9&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP.
  3. Jessica Guynn, “Facebook backlash after audit: Civil rights leader says Mark Zuckerberg’s power must be reined in,” USA Today, July 8, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311571?t=11&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP. 
  4. “Donald Trump is back advertising on Facebook,” FWIW, June 21, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311572?t=13&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP.
  5. “Beyond the Statement: Tech Framework,” Color Of Change, June 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311573?t=15&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP.
  6. Kari Paul, “'It Let White Supremacists Organize': The Toxic Legacy of Facebook's Groups,” The Guardian, February 4, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/303628?t=17&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP.
  7. Vera Bergengruen, Billy Perrigo, “Facebook Acted Too Late to Tackle Misinformation on 2020 Election, Report Finds,” Time, March 23, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311574?t=19&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP. 
  8. Cristiano Lima, “Facebook gives Trump path to return – but not until at least 2023,” Politico, June 4, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/311575?t=21&akid=51307%2E4731121%2EsIjzwP.

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.

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