|
Dear John.
Twitter is enabling violence by allowing white nationalist marketing on its platform. A recent test by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) exposed Twitter’s paid ad policies which allow advertisers to target users who have posted or searched racist keywords.1
According to Twitter, advertisers targeting users based on sensitive categories such as political affiliation or beliefs, racial or ethnic origin, or religious or philosophical affiliation or beliefs, is against its paid ad policy.2 However, the BBC successfully ran ads targeting three different audiences using white supremacist key words, even after Twitter claimed to have ad reviews in place, to prevent this happening. By allowing paid ads to target users who have posted or searched white supremacist keywords, Twitter is allowing white nationalist movements to grow and organize on its platform which can result in real-life violence against Black users.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Demand CEO Jack Dorsey enforce stricter policies and ban white nationalists.
Twitter continues to compromise the safety of its Black users by blatantly ignoring the severity of white nationalists on its platform. Last November, Color Of Change and the Change The Terms coalition delivered over 100,000+ petition signatures demanding Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey remove hate speech and white nationalists from Twitter. It is becoming clear that the safety of its Black users is not a priority for him.
Until justice is real,
--Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Jade, Future, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, Jenette, Cierra and the rest of the Color Of Change team
(see our email below for more information on this campaign)
References:
- “Twitter Apologizes for Letting Ads Target Neo-nazis and Bigots, BBC News, January 16, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/226535?t=8&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa.
- Twitter, “Policies for Keyword Targeting,” Twitter Business website, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/226536?t=10&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa, accessed January 17, 2020.
Twitter has turned a blind eye to white nationalism and now is a megaphone for hate speech. Twitter has yet to take action to change its terms of use to prevent the spread of white nationalist hate speech following the two-year anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the recent white nationalist violence in El Paso, Texas. Twitter has failed Black and Brown people and continues to put us in danger. It’s long overdue for Twitter to adopt stricter policies to prevent the spread of hate speech online.
Sign the petition: Demand Twitter regulate the spread of hate speech.
For years, Trump has used Twitter to incite hate, mobilize white nationalism, and invoke fear and prejudice in Americans. Twitter, a platform designed to connect and share ideas, is now home to white nationalists and other hateful ideological groups that wish to push harmful ideas to the masses and organize around those ideas. Since the 2017 Unite the Right rally, the most deadly white nationalist march in years, Twitter’s failure to address hateful ideologies and enforce more comprehensive policies against hate speech has allowed white nationalist to organize, fundraise for, and normalize attacks on our communities.
Demand Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey adopt stricter policies to regulate hate speech.
Last month, Trump used Twitter to direct a wave of hate at Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, four Black and Brown American congresswomen, by demanding they "go back to their countries.” He followed that with more vicious and racist Twitter attacks against Rep. Elijah Cummings and Al Sharpton. Twitter announced last month it would label posts from world leaders when they violate company policies, but it has repeatedly failed to label Trump's racist tweets. Twitter has failed to combat racism and hate speech even according to the low bar it set for itself.
White nationalist violence continues to manifest across the country, fueled by unregulated social media platforms. As a result, real lives are at stake. Color Of Change, along Free Press and Media Justice, and other human, civil, and digital rights groups, have come together in a joint effort to form the Change the Terms coalition. Collectively we are demanding that Twitter adopt recommended corporate policies and terms of service to ensure that social media platforms, payment service providers, and other internet-based services are not places where hate speech and extremism can grow. It’s time we demand safe digital spaces for Black and Brown people to share, connect, inspire, and be free from hate speech and physical harm.
Sign the petition: Demand Twitter regulate the spread of hate speech.
Until justice is real,
Brandi Collins-Dexter, Color Of Change
Jessica J. González, Free Press
Steven Renderos, Media Justice
References:
- “Two Years Ago, They Marched in Charlottesville. Where Are They Now?” ADL, August 8, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165078?t=18&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa
-
“Twitter Under Fire Again for Failing to Ban White Supremacists as Charlottesville Anniversary Nears,” Gizmodo, August 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165079?t=20&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa
- “Twitter Says Trump’s Tweet Didn’t Violate Its Rules Against Racism but Won’t Say Why,” The Washington Post, July 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165080?t=22&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa
- “Twitter Says Trump’s Tweet Didn’t Violate Its Rules Against Racism but Won’t Say Why,” The Washington Post, July 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165080?t=24&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa
- “Twitter Under Fire Again for Failing to Ban White Supremacists as Charlottesville Anniversary Nears,” Gizmodo, August 2, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/165079?t=26&akid=40403%2E4731121%2E9oExTa
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
If you're absolutely sure you don't want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe.
