Friend — Yesterday I hitched a ride on the truck we’d hired as it slowly circled Facebook’s D.C. headquarters and Capitol Hill with a billboard reading “Facebook must close Trump’s ad loophole”. This happened right after we delivered nearly 140,000 signatures demanding that the platform stop allowing Donald Trump to spread hate and disinformation through his PAC.1 Let me tell you — it was satisfying as hell. And watching people on the street stop to read the billboard, take pictures of it and point it out to others — knowing that we were generating awareness of Zuckerberg’s practices — may have been the best part. But we have seen in the past just how much public pressure is needed to push Facebook to do the right thing. Could you donate today to help us cover the $2,700 cost of the billboard and continue keeping the pressure on Mark Zuckerberg? Remember, every gift made through Oct. 31 will be DOUBLED up to $10,000 to help fight disinformation. Fight Disinformation: Double Your Impact Now Let’s be clear. Trump is using his PAC to get around Facebook’s ban on his account — and he’s spreading dangerous lies about the 2020 election, including claims that he’s the true president. We’re not surprised to see this hypocrisy from Facebook — on the one hand the platform banned Trump over the disinformation that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection while on the other hand it’s happily profiting from his PAC’s ads, which are spreading the same lies. Politicians use their PACs to get around enforcement of Facebook policies all the time — and Zuckerberg still hasn’t explained why the rules don’t apply to PACs. Facebook is nothing without its users — and only one thing has ever forced the company to act: significant public pressure. At Free Press Action we’re doing everything we can, but we need your help to cover the costs of our mobile billboard and stay in this fight as long as we have to. Right now, all gifts up to $10,000 are being DOUBLED to support our fight against disinformation on Facebook and beyond — but we have to reach this ambitious goal by Oct. 31. Please donate now! Thank you for everything you do to hold platforms accountable. In solidarity, Rose and the rest of the Free Press Action team freepress.net P.S. Supporters like you are the heart of Free Press Action’s movement. Remember, we don’t take a single dollar from business, government or political parties — our independence is too critical. The fight against disinformation is a defining battle of our time: Racist lies and conspiracy theories are helping to drive spikes in COVID-19 and sow confusion about the 2020 election results. Please donate now while your gift will be DOUBLED to help us get Trump off Facebook for good and to fight against disinformation on all fronts.
1. “Facebook Targeted by Mobile Billboard Circling Capitol Hill Demanding That Company Close the Trump Ad Loophole,” Free Press Action, Sept. 30, 2021 Photo by Chris Cruz 8 Media Group |