Sign the petition to Facebook: Don't Censor Human Rights Documentation
Facebook, a platform increasingly used to document human rights abuses, has censored human rights documentation, including content that depicts police violence.
This includes but is not limited to: the deactivation of Korryn Gaines' account, the removal of iconic war photographs, reports of suppression of indigenous resistance, continued reports of Black activists’ content being removed, and the disabling of Palestinian journalists’ accounts following Mark Zuckerberg's meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister.
A number of organizations (see below) have joined together for this petition and written a letter urging Facebook to end this practice and create rules that protect users from censorship of protected speech.
Sign the petition to Mark Zuckerberg: Don't censor human rights documentation, especially content that depicts police brutality.
Dear Mark Zuckerberg,
When Facebook unilaterally censors user content that depicts police brutality at the request of the authorities, it sets a dangerous precedent that further hurts and silences marginalized communities, particularly communities of color.
With the safety check-in feature, profile solidarity filters, and in countless speeches, you present Facebook’s value of human life at the center of its public-facing image.
However, Facebook’s repeated silencing of marginalized communities that attempt to make their stories and struggles known proves otherwise. That is why we request that Facebook clarify its policy on removing video and other content, especially human rights documentation, at the request of government actors.
Specifically, we urge Facebook to:
- Make policies about how Facebook makes decisions to censor content clear and accessible to the public.
- Create a public appeals platform where users can appeal content censored by Facebook.
- Undergo an external audit on the equity and human rights outcomes of your Facebook Live and content censorship and data sharing policies. Then institute a task force for implementing the recommendations of the audit.
- Refuse to disclose customer content and data to third party agencies unless required to by law.
18MillionRising
CREDO
Center for Media Justice
Corporate Accountability International
Courage Campaign
Daily Kos
Demand Progress
Free Press
People Demanding Action
People's Action
Presente.org
SierraRise
A larger coalition of 77 organizations has signed onto a public sign-on letter to Facebook, as well. You can find that letter here.