| Tensions in America feel more and more overwhelming every day with the ongoing failure to contain COVID-19, violent attacks on people protesting police violence and now the political fight over the successor to the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And people use social-media platforms like Facebook to discuss, debate and initiate organizing efforts on every one of these issues.
Here’s the problem: Facebook is refusing to enforce its own policies to keep users safe and make sure that facts — not dangerous conspiracy theories — reach its users as we head into November.
We all know what happened in 2016. And now, in the critical last few weeks before #Election2020, racist political ads are running rampant on Facebook and white-nationalist militias are using the platform to recruit and issue calls for violence.
Facebook’s lack of action has real consequences — both in terms of the erosion of our democracy and in real lives lost, including the tragic murder of two racial-justice protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
It’s hard to understate just how critical these next six weeks are to our democracy and the fight for a just media. To help Free Press Action fight with all we’ve got, a generous donor is challenging our supporters to MAKE A SMALL WEEKLY DONATION: From now through Election Day, your gift will be TRIPLED EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
Make a weekly gift of $5, $10, even $25 right now and your gift will go 3x as far toward keeping the pressure on Facebook to ban all hate groups and events encouraging people to bring weapons.
After a right-wing militia’s event page encouraged people to bring weapons to a racial-justice protest in Kenosha, the event was flagged 455 times and underwent numerous reviews by Facebook’s content moderators. Yet the event remained live — ultimately leading to the tragic shooting of two protesters.
Mark Zuckerberg’s response was typical: the usual PR spin + no real action to curb violence and white supremacy on the platform. Meanwhile, calls to arms, racist political ads and conspiracy theories around mail-in voting flourish on Facebook.
Will you make a weekly donation today while a generous donor will TRIPLE your gift every week through Election Day? We have to act NOW to fight hate and disinformation in the run-up to the election: Your support will go 3x as far.
We can’t let Facebook continue to prioritize its profits over our safety, our democracy and our civil rights.
Make a weekly gift today — your donation will be TRIPLED in support of our fight to stop online hate, disinformation and the suppression of truth in #Election2020.
With your support, Free Press Action will make the next six weeks count. Thank you.
Craig Aaron
Free Press Co-CEO
freepress.net
P.S. In 2016, Facebook sat back as racist rhetoric and disinformation spread on its platform. Now, with six weeks left until #Election2020, it’s doing the same thing, allowing racist political ads to flourish and violent white-supremacist militias to incite violence. Make a weekly donation today and every week through Nov 3. Your gift will be TRIPLED, going 3x as far toward keeping the pressure on Facebook to ban all hate groups and call-to-arms events. |
