For Immediate Release: August 26, 2020 Color Of Change: Facebook is Complicit in Deadly Kenosha Shootings For Failing to Block Online Hate Group, Even After Receiving Policy Violation Reports NATIONWIDE — In response to reports that Facebook knowingly allowed the group Kenosha Guard to use the social media platform to encourage an armed response to protests in Kenosha, WI spurred […]
The groups behind #StopHateForProfit say even after the ad boycott, Facebook has failed to take the kind of action needed to stop the spread of hate speech on its platform. Color Of Change’s Rashad Robinson is quoted, “We put out an assessment to clarify what civil rights groups have been demanding for several years versus what Facebook has done. Despite a sweeping statement from corporate leaders that Facebook must do better to protect its Black users, the company has failed to address our demands.” For example, Facebook did not follow Color Of Change’s recommendations on how to shut down hate speech, yet told advertisers it leads the industry and its artificial intelligence is getting better and faster all the time. It also failed to add a civil rights executive to its leadership team.
Read this Q&A with Rashad Robinson on Color Of Change’s five-year history of pressing Facebook to deal with its anti-Black problem — from the days when Black Lives Matter activists were being targeted by users. Wired shares Robinson’s perspective on why civil rights groups cannot be left to police Facebook by themselves. So far, advertisers have pulled more than $7B from Facebook, responding to Color Of Change and the StopHateForProfit coalition’s calls that Zuckerberg knowingly promotes algorithms and policies that foment racism and help hate groups get their message far and wide.
For years, Color Of Change has demanded Facebook stop hate speech, calls to violence, racist lies, and housing discrimination on its platform. We’ve pressed Facebook to do more to protect Black people online and pushed them to release a civil rights audit of their practices. But they continue to put profits above people. So we […]
As more big brands pledged to stop advertising on Facebook — costing the company $7B so far — Zuckerberg reversed his stance and agreed to put a warning label on posts that break its hate speech and harmful content rules. Previously Facebook refused to remove, punish, or call out content so long as it was considered newsworthy. But it appears #StopHateforProfit, organized by Color Of Change, the NAACP, and Anti-Defamation League is having an impact. The question remains whether Zuckerberg will take the kind of action needed to stop white nationalist and hate groups from proliferating.
For Immediate Release: July 8, 2020 Color Of Change Responds to Facebook’s Civil Rights Audit NATIONWIDE — Color Of Change began its campaign against Facebook in 2015, when it successfully pushed the online platform to protect Black activists who were doxxed by white nationalist groups. The organization’s demands for accountability following the murder of Korryn […]
First Unilever, one of Facebook’s top advertisers, joined the #StopHateForProfit boycott, then Coca-Cola said it would suspend its advertising. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson is quoted, “This brings us a huge step forward in holding Facebook accountable for enabling hateful, denigrating and discriminatory content against Black people. Facebook leaders should understand the gravity of this movement for civil rights and take urgent steps to remedy its harms, including implementing a permanent civil rights infrastructure. Facebook cannot afford to look away anymore.”
When #StopHateforProfit launched, its organizers had not yet persuaded a single advertiser to boycott Facebook. Two weeks later, more than 400 companies, from Coca-Cola to Adidas and Lego, have pulled their ad money in a growing protest over how Facebook handles harmful content, used to target Black activists and interfere in US elections. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson, one of the boycott’s organizers, said this was a long time coming. “Facebook has given [advertisers] no other option because of their failure, time and time again, to address the very real and the very visible problems on their platform.”
A growing list of companies have pulled billions of dollars in ads from Facebook in protest of their failure to stop the spread of hate on its platform. A civil rights coalition, which includes the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, and Color Of Change launched #StopHateforProfit calling on major corporations to pause their advertising on Facebook, until the company addresses its problems. According to Ben & Jerry’s, Facebook has allowed content designed to “suppress voters, foment and fan the flames of racism and violence, and undermine our democracy.”
Earlier this week Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a town hall to announce new measures to crack down on hate speech and misinformation on its platform. But the ad boycott of 130+ companies continues to grow. Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson is quoted, “What we’ve seen in today’s address from Mark Zuckerberg is a failure to wrestle with the harms FB has caused on our democracy & civil rights. If this is the response he’s giving to major advertisers withdrawing millions of dollars from the company, we can’t trust his leadership.”
For Immediate Release: June 26, 2020 COLOR OF CHANGE ISSUES STATEMENT ON UNILEVER DECISION TO HALT FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ADS NATIONWIDE— In response to Unilever’s decision to commit to the #StopHateforProfit pledge and halt advertisements on Facebook and Instagram through the end of 2020, Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson issued the following statement: “As […]
For Immediate Release: June 25, 2020 Color Of Change calls on industry leaders to go #BeyondtheStatement and pause Facebook ads to prove solidarity with Black Lives Matter NATIONWIDE — In response to Verizon and 92 other companies committing to the #StopHateforProfit pledge, Color Of Change’s President Rashad Robinson issued the following statement: “Since June 17, […]