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Dear Friend,
The news makes it clear: Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is trying to use the company's position as the world's biggest social media platform to interfere in a presidential election AGAIN.
Last week, we learned that Zuckerberg held a private meeting with Donald Trump — and soon after, Facebook announced it would not fact-check or remove content from politicians even if it violates the company’s own rules.1
That's just the tip of the iceberg, as news broke yesterday of Zuckerberg holding meetings with numerous other conservative leaders, including Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Republican politician Lindsey Graham.2 Facebook and Zuckerberg are getting worse — and we need your help to stop them.
It's not just elections — Facebook is waging a systematic attack on our democracy and our economy. And at every turn, Demand Progress is fighting back.
Next week, Zuckerberg will testify to Congress about his reckless Facebook Libra digital currency plan, which risks taking control over money away from our democracy and concentrating it in his own hands. Demand Progress has been working hard on Capitol Hill to arm elected officials with the research they need to push back — and already some of Zuckerberg's key partners are fleeing his Libra project.
Facebook has also been devastating for journalism, at the moment we need it most. We learned last week that they'll pay just $40 million to settle a case stemming from their fraudulent manipulation of video metrics, which caused numerous media outlets to chase video viewers at the expense of stories.3
And of course, Facebook's near monopoly on online ads has led to the closing of multiple media outlets, leaving us with even less coverage of critical issues.4
In 2018 and 2019, we led the grassroots effort to get the Federal Trade Commission to break up Facebook. The FTC chose instead to slap them on the wrist, so we're turning our efforts to other federal regulators, state attorneys general, and Congressional oversight hearings. Most important, we're mobilizing the grassroots effort to put pressure on government to act.
It's going to take a mass movement to stop Zuckerberg and Facebook, and there’s no time to lose.
Will you donate to Demand Progress and help stop Facebook from wrecking our democracy?
Thanks for standing with us.
Robert Cruickshank,
Demand Progress
Sources:
1. CNBC, "Warren attacks Facebook for ‘quietly’ changing its political ad policy after Zuckerberg’s meeting with Trump," October 8, 2019
2. Politico, "Inside Mark Zuckerberg's private meetings with conservative pundits," October 14, 2019
3. The Hollywood Reporter, "Facebook to Pay $40M Under Proposed Settlement in Video Metrics Suit," October 7, 2019
4. City Pages, "Facebook’s killing journalism, and doesn't care," January 9, 2019
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