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It's time to go big on Facebook accountability, but we're going to need your help. Can you chip in? Donate Now |
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Hey there —
It's time for a reckoning at Facebook — with your help we can finally hold them to account. In the last month alone, the curtain has been pulled back once again to reveal seriously concerning issues that we need to shine a light on. - A whistleblower has testified that Facebook knew its product, Instagram, was increasing body image issues and thoughts of self-harm, especially for teenagers.1
- Facebook has facilitated human trafficking and has done little to stop it.2
- Proof has surfaced to back up what many suspected: that changes to the Facebook algorithm incentivized extremist, divisive content.3
- Most recently, news broke that Facebook's own engineers doubt its claims that its AI can accurately remove hate speech and violent images.4
One of these stories alone should have been enough to demand answers from Facebook, but the company is attempting to weather the barrage of bad press without taking responsibility. The company even just changed its name to "Meta" in a desperate attempt to distract from the negative news.5
But a name change won't solve the problems Facebook causes, and we can't let this be just another short-lived media moment. We have a real opportunity to hold Facebook to account for the harm it causes to our communities.
As a Mozilla supporter, you know that we don't hold back when it comes to advocating for strong solutions to some of the biggest problems posed by Big Tech. Last year, we called on Facebook to eliminate group recommendations before the U.S. Elections, and the platform listened.6
This time we need to go big. We need thorough, systemic policy change. We need to hold Mark Zuckerberg accountable for his decisions and actions. That's why we're gearing up for a major campaign to push Facebook for long-term change, and I want you to be part of it.
Will you chip in today and join our effort?
Facebook is one of the biggest companies in the world and it throws its nearly unlimited resources at combatting its bad image — employing an army of lawyers and lobbyists.
However, we have something Facebook doesn't: momentum and people-power.
Mozilla is proudly non-profit, and it's your support that drives our success. Unlike Facebook, we don't harvest your data for ad revenue. In fact, we will only succeed in this campaign to change Facebook if you, and millions of people like you, stand with us.
Donate today to hold Mark Zuckerberg to account.
Together we can use the power of our community to fight for a better internet.
Kaili Lambe,
Senior Campaigner
References: - Georgia Wells, Jeff Horwitz, and Deepa Seetharaman, "Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show," Wall Street Journal, September 2021.
- Justin Scheck, Newley Purnell, and Jeff Horwitz, "Facebook Employees Flag Drug Cartels and Human Traffickers. The Company's Response Is Weak, Documents Show," Wall Street Journal, September 2021.
- Keach Hagey and Jeff Horwitz, "Facebook Tried to Make Its Platform a Healthier Place. It Got Angrier Instead," Wall Street Journal, September 2021.
- Deepa Seetharaman, Jeff Horwitz, and Justin Scheck, "Facebook Says AI Will Clean Up the Platform. Its Own Engineers Have Doubts," Wall Street Journal, October 2021.
- Mike Isaac, "Facebook Renames Itself Meta," The New York Times, Oct 28, 2021.
- Ashley Boyd, "Facebook Heeds Mozilla Call, Pauses Group Recommendations," Mozilla Foundation, October 2020.
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