Dam Breaking, Advocates Demand Real Oversight, Regulation, Investigation; Urge Facebook Shareholders: Get Out Now.
Ahead of Facebook Papers Release, Haugen Testimony, Facebook Q3 Earnings Call, Real Facebook Oversight Board Calls On Policymakers, Shareholders to Act:“The Metaverse is an Authoritarian Hellscape That Must Be Stopped”
24 October — As new revelations break hourly about Facebook’s knowing refusal to stop hate, extremism and disinformation on their platforms, and ahead of the “Facebook Papers,” Frances Haugen’s testimony before UK Parliament and the Facebook Q3 earnings call, The Real Facebook Oversight Board issued the following statement for attribution -
“Every new revelation about Facebook confirms our worst fears: Facebook’s damage to global democracy, human rights and the rule of law is boundless. Dogged reporting and courageous whistleblowers have shown the toxic harm of Facebook in India, Facebook’s embrace of right-wing extremists from Steve Bannon to QAnon, and the company’s complete disregard for democracy in the pursuit of profit.
As Facebook issues its Q3 earnings report Monday, our message to shareholders: Get out now. No amount of money is worth the damage Facebook has done and will continue to do to the fragile stability of democracies around the world. You have a moral, ethical and even legal obligation to act. Q3’s profits have been made at the expense of democracy and decency.
As new leaks show the horrifying breadth of Facebook’s unwillingness and inability to moderate its own content, Monday’s testimony from Frances Haugen and the publication of the Facebook Papers should be a call to action for policymakers in the UK, EU and the US to stop Facebook’s unyielding growth and dangerous actions. This is a crisis, with Facebook causing harm each day.
We call on policymakers, regulators and shareholders today to -
– Criminally investigate the charges against Facebook, including their role in January 6th and the likelihood they have lied to regulators
– Aggressively regulate Facebook, including breaking up Instagram and Whatsapp and clamping down on its misuse of US Section 230.
– Establish statutory independent, transparent and diligent oversight of Facebook and other social media platforms to stem the flow of hate speech, disinformation and extremism. Facebook’s own Oversight Board is a self-appointed PR stunt that has already failed.
As soon as this week, Mark Zuckerberg will announce a new name for Facebook, like tobacco and oil companies before him. The global domination and world that Mark Zuckerberg wants is a world of hate and polarization. This is already happening. The so-called metaverse is an authoritarian hellscape that democracy won’t survive. The dam is breaking for Facebook. We can’t let this moment pass without real, lasting change.”
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Real Facebook Oversight Board members are available for interviews and comments. The RFOB will be live tweeting Frances Haugen’s testimony. Statements do not reflect the individual positions of all Real Facebook Oversight Board Members. Contact us at media@the-citizens.com.
