For Immediate Release: April 20, 2021

Contact: media@colorofchange.org

Color Of Change: Facebook Must Enforce a Permanent Content Moderation Policy to Remove Violent Posts

NATIONWIDE — In response to Facebook’s plans announced today to limit misinformation, hate and violent content related to the trial of Derek Chauvin and the murder of George Floyd, Color Of Change released the following statement from President Rashad Robinson:

“Color Of Change and our allies have been calling on Facebook to enforce its content moderation policies and limit posts that incite hate and violence for years. And yet it was not until today, in anticipation of the Derek Chauvin verdict, that Facebook decided it was in their corporate interest to not be responsible for more violence, or even death, incited on its platform.

When former President Donald Trump posted ‘when the looting starts, the shooting starts’ in response to protests following George Floyd’s murder, Facebook leadership refused to take down the post and insisted there was nothing they could do. When two innocent protestors were murdered in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, again we were told there was nothing they could do — even as it was uncovered that users flagged posts inciting violence hundreds of times prior to the shootings.

Well today, Facebook did something. Now my question is, if Facebook can be safer for Black people, why isn’t that the default setting? If Facebook can track the users posting violent content, why aren’t they taking action? We want answers.

In Minneapolis today, we were allowed one single exhale by a deserved guilty verdict. But that verdict will not bring back George Floyd, nor will it bring back the murdered protesters in Kenosha, Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, nor will it prevent future violence that we have learned to anticipate as an outcome of extremist organizing on Facebook. We will not accept more empty promises of corporate policy changes.

We are calling for a permanent extension of this content moderation commitment to remove content that incites violence. The Facebook algorithm is built to prioritize profit and disregard dangerous content, and company leadership has proven an unwillingness to change that fact. Instead, Congress must intervene with legislative action and robust funding for regulatory enforcement to remove the profit motive for violent and divisive content, once and for all.”

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About Color Of Change:

Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org