| Friend — BREAKING: This morning, the Facebook Oversight Board recommended that the company continue its suspension of Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, and told Facebook that it must complete its review of its decision to suspend Trump within 6 months of today's date.
For years, Trump used social media to spread lies and hate that translated into real-life violence. In Kenosha, Wisconsin. At the U.S. Capitol. In the Atlanta area. It’s because of this that we’ve been pushing Facebook to permanently revoke his megaphone.
This is a win, but it could be a temporary one. Trump will remain off Facebook for now but could be reinstated in 6 months when the company makes its final decision. Donate today to help us keep the momentum going. While today’s Oversight Board decision to uphold Trump’s suspension from Facebook is welcome, it’s a temporary Band-Aid that obscures a much larger problem: the greed-driven incentives that compel Facebook to trade public safety for corporate profit. The fact remains that Facebook never stopped profiting from racism and lies. Just a quick search of the platform reveals hundreds of white-supremacist groups and millions of posts from right-wing politicians and organizations like Fox News spreading blatant lies.
This decision could serve as a smokescreen for Facebook. Or it could be a pivotal moment in the fight against disinformation and hate — the beginning of real change.
Your support has helped us get this far. Will you donate today to help us continue fighting to keep Trump and other violent white supremacists off Facebook?
It’s important to remember that the Facebook Oversight Board considered this case only because Facebook asked it to. Facebook selected board members and pays them. Facebook decides what cases they consider, and which they do not.
So let’s be clear here: Facebook banned Trump and referred his case to the board only because public pressure demanded that they do so. Now we need to keep the pressure on so that 6 months down the road, the company will uphold Trump's suspension.
Make no mistake: Our movement is powerful. Free Press helped push Twitter to permanently ban Trump and got YouTube to temporarily ban him. We were a key player in Amazon's and Google’s decision to drop Parler. We’ve been able to get major legislation passed through both houses of Congress.
Our movement has the power to win the fight against disinformation and hate. But we need your help: Donate today.
In solidarity,
Candace and the rest of the Free Press team
freepress.net
P.S. Today’s decision to continue Facebook’s ban of Donald Trump was the right one. But it does nothing to end Facebook’s business model of profiting off of racism and lies. Our work is far from over and your support will help us determine what this moment comes to represent: an effective smokescreen for Facebook or a meaningful step toward winning the fight against disinformation and hate. Please donate today.  |
