Color Of Change: Facebook’s Policy Update on White Nationalism is Critical Step Forward

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2019

Media Contact: Kwame Belle, kwame.belle@berlinrosen.com| Michelle Morris, michelle.morris@berlinrosen.com

New York — Following updates to Facebook’s content moderation policy pertaining to white nationalism and white separatism, Color Of Change issued the following statement from President Rashad Robinson:

“Color Of Change alerted Facebook years ago to the growing dangers of white nationalists on its platform, and today, we are glad to see the company’s leadership take this critical step forward in updating its policy on white nationalism. We look forward to continuing our work with Facebook to ensure that the platform’s content moderation guidelines and trainings properly support the updated policy and are informed by civil rights and racial justice organizations.

Facebook’s update should move Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon to act urgently to stem the growth of white nationalist ideologies, which find space on platforms to spread the violent ideas and rhetoric that inspired the tragic attacks witnessed in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, and now Christchurch.

Color Of Change and its 1.5 million members will continue to work with Facebook to ensure the platform is safe for everyone and hold the leadership of all social platforms accountable to making the safety of users from marginalized communities an operational priority.”

Color Of Change began pressuring Facebook about discrimination on the platform in 2015 and made its first demand for the civil rights audit in 2016. In November 2018, the racial justice organization pushed Facebook to agree – for the first time ever – to the public release of this audit. The next phase of the audit will be released in June.

Color Of Change is also aggressively pushing online payment service providers to stop providing a platform for white supremacist groups, who use their services to build power, expand membership and incite terrorism. Launched in 2017, Color Of Change’s #NoBloodMoney campaign successfully mobilized more than 100,000 members to cut over 175 funding sources for dangerous hate groups. Additionally, Color Of Change successfully pushed Spotify to remove Alex Jones, a media personality known for spreading bigoted conspiracy theories, from the company's podcast streaming platform.

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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 1.5 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.