Kairos Calls on Millions of Coalition Members to Log Off Facebook to Demand the Company Stop Profiting Off Racism and Hate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2021 

CONTACT: Kindeya Chiaro, kindeya.chiaro@berlinrosen.com | Kwame Belle, kwame.belle@berlinrosen.com

The Facebook Logout campaign will harness the power of social media users to hold the social media giant to account for continuing to profit off hate and destabilizing democracy

Call for pledges to log off Facebook’s platforms on November 10 comes against the backdrop of new inquiries into Facebook’s toxic impact on users

NATIONWIDE — In the wake of the latest series of damning revelations about Facebook's senior leadership team knowingly allowing the proliferation of harms across its social media platforms, a mass collection of users will participate in a national logout campaign.  

Led by Kairos, the digital organizers behind the Tech Is Not Neutral campaign, and supported by a broad coalition of respected civic organizations — including Accountable Tech, MediaJustice, UltraViolet, Free Press and MoveOn — who are known for defending democracy and media access, The Facebook Logout campaign will seek to disrupt the "business as usual" attitude that the world's largest social media company has adopted in response to lawmakers, advocates and its user’s growing concerns. 

“The harms caused by Facebook and Zuckerberg extend well beyond users’ experiences online — meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg acts as if he is not culpable and should not be held to account for the real world dangers his company poses in our communities,” said Mariana Ruiz Firmat, Executive Director of Kairos. “Instead, Facebook consistently responds by releasing statements intended to nullify factual criticisms and urgent warnings while doing nothing to change his company’s policies. But what Facebook fails to realize is that users know the power we have over the platform, and we’re tired of hollow apologies.”

Ninety-eight percent of Facebook’s revenue comes from ads targeted at their users — a figure dependent on users’ regular use of and engagement with the platform. The move by the Facebook Logout campaign organizers to mobilize their member base with a reach of millions to log off of the platform by November 10, 2021, pulls on the tried and true economic power of consumers to directly impact bottom lines for companies that shirk accountability.   

“We all know that the deadly insurrection on January 6 was largely organized on Facebook after they failed to stop the spread of disinformation about the 2020 elections, putting our lives and democracy in jeopardy, ” continued Ruiz Firmat. “These latest revelations of the insidious profit-driven impact of social media on young people of color only underscores what we’ve long suspected — that Facebook is far more interested in pacifying right-wing extremism than fixing the problems with their platform.” 

With this campaign, Kairos is continuing its success with the Tech Is Not Neutral campaign, which pressured Big Tech companies to end partnerships with law enforcement agencies that use their products to surveil Black communities. Kairos is amplifying its demands for Facebook to curb disinformation, increase transparency on content moderation decisions, halt surveillance advertising and end Mark Zuckerberg’s majority power as CEO and Board Chair.

The campaign pledge and Kairos’s demands can be found on the Facebook Logout campaign website that will also track log-off commitments leading up to November 10, 2021.

About Kairos
Kairos builds leaders and strategies for contending for power in the digital realm so that racial and economic justice is possible now and in the future. Kairos trains and encourages organizers in building power online, fights for stronger regulation of the internet and tech companies, creates hard-hitting, successful campaigns that challenge inequity and wrongs, and nurtures partnerships with organizers and leaders around the country. We are changing how social movements organize and build power in the digital realm. Our goal is to build long-term structural change by developing an effective base of digital leaders and technologists of color who can be mobilized and engaged in crucial movement moments while fighting for an internet and technology that allows communities of color to thrive.

Facebook Oversight Board Upholds Trump Ban, but Fails to Permanently Ban the Former President

For immediate release: May 5, 2021
Contact: press@kairosfellows.org

On Wednesday, May 5, the Facebook Oversight Board upheld its decision to ban former president Donald J. Trump dealing a blow to the former president who wielded social media as a weapon to galvanize and agitate his base. A sharp increase in misinformation and white supremacist violence accompanied Trump’s rise to power. After the January 6th insurrection, Facebook along with other social media giants, banned the then president’s pages and all content “in Trump’s voice” from its platform. 

Facebook’s Oversight Board ruled to uphold the temporary ban, but stated that Facebook does not have the power to permanently ban a user from its platform and the company should review its policy in 6 months. 

“How much longer will we have to wait and watch Facebook sit on the fence?” said Jelani Drew, Campaign Manager, Kairos Action. “It’s good to see the Oversight Board recognize that people in power need to be held to a higher standard and not behind Facebook’s "newsworthiness" exemptions. But overall this is not a proportionate response to what Trump has done so far. Facebook and the Oversight Board need to stop passing the decision making baton back and forth and take a definitive position. The truth is Facebook's algorithm and profit incentives are driving and supporting white supremacists being on their platform. Facebook needs to take a moral stance regardless of the bottom line — unless Facebook is going to hold a white supremacist rehab, there is a need for policies aimed at indefinite suspension of white supremacist people and accounts.” 

Despite a peaceful transition of presidential power, the threat of violence and misinformation that Trump instigates persists on Facebook. 

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Statement on white supremacist violence at the Capitol on 1/6/2021

For immediate release: January 7, 2021
Contact: press@kairosfellows.org

Considering the violent insurrection at the Capitol yesterday and the role social media companies played in the organizing of that event, below is a statement from Jelani Drew, Campaign Manager at Kairos Action. 

“As we support rightful calls to remove Donald Trump and his counterparts in Congress from office, we can’t forget that Facebook and Youtube are also complicit in the violence that took place in the Capitol building. Social media platforms have long ignored calls to pay attention to and remove white supremacist violence, hate, and lies from their platforms. While we can appreciate moves from Facebook and Youtube to ban Trump, these companies do not get to be the heroes. They waited just long enough to gain attention and make some money before taking action. The warning signs have been here since Donald Trump decided to run for president in 2015. If Facebook and Youtube truly want to regain the trust of the American people, it's time they hold their leadership accountable and remove their respective CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Susan Wojcicki, as leaders. Our communities deserve better.”

We won! Supervisors condemn naming of hospital after Mark Zuckerberg

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors heard us. 

Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to condemn the naming of the city’s public hospital after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.  The passing of this resolution will now establish clear standards for naming public institutions only for people or organizations that align with the city’s social-justice driven values. 

But we’re not done yet.

This is a huge win for healthcare workers at the hospital, San Francisco organizers, and groups from around the country who have opposed the hospital’s naming after Facebook’s CEO because of the ongoing disinformation around COVID-19 on the platform. This is also a step forward in our long-term fight to hold Facebook accountable for undermining our democracy and harming our communities.

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No Luck for Zuck, Digital Activists Tell the San Francisco Board of Supervisors No to Zuckerberg Hospital

For immediate release: December 14, 2020
Contact: press@kairosfellows.org

Over 4,000 people signed a petition opposing naming San Francisco General Hospital after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg due to the platform’s complicity in spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Zuckerberg donated $75 million to the hospital in 2015, and, at that time, the facility and city government made a controversial move to rename the public hospital after the billionaire. 

Facebook has continuously made policy and enforcement choices that compromise the public health and safety of communities. Further, these decisions often disproportionately impact BIPOC, queer, and trans communities as evidenced by the global pandemic. 

A prestigious public hospital bearing the name of Mark Zuckerberg flies in the face of advocates’ call to hold Facebook accountable for its role in promoting disinformation and misinformation during the most pressing health crisis in a generation. 

"The fact that Facebook played a huge role in the spread of COVID-19 misinformation should be enough to convince anyone that Facebook's CEO should not have a hospital named after him. San Francisco's only public hospital should be named after someone who has upheld the values of human rights, dignity, and social and racial justice. From his actions as Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has not lived up to these values. And through our petition we've seen that 3000+ people agree." Jelani Drew, Campaign Manager at Kairos Action. 

“Facebook’s algorithm pushes its users toward harmful content and extreme views—whether about public health issues like COVID-19 or disinformation about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. It needs to change its ways, and San Francisco needs to do its part in making that happen by passing this resolution.” said Tracy Rosenberg of the Protest Facebook coalition.

A resolution condemning the naming of the hospital after Zuckerberg passed out of committee and heads for a full vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, December 15.

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Nextdoor users urge the company to cut ties with police

The campaign wants Nextdoor’s leadership to do more to protect communities of color

For immediate release: September 28, 2020
Contact: press@kairosfellows.org

Nextdoor, an app that connects more than 200,000 people in their neighborhoods to share real-time information and concerns has partnerships with police departments across the U.S.

Technology-focused racial justice group, Kairos, launched a public campaign against Nextdoor today. The campaign featured stories of Nextdoor users who oppose policing on the app. This move comes after the group met with Nextdoor’s leadership and were told that the company would not cut ties with police. 

“Nextdoor needs to understand that their reach goes far beyond the people who use their app. Just last week, Nextdoor  CEO said Nextdoor is the ‘humane platform,’ but the platform’s racism problems mixed with their intentional partnership with police make it dangerous. Nextdoor has to follow through on their statements supporting Black Lives Matter and cut ties with law enforcement.” said Jelani Drew, Kairos campaigner.

Here’s some quotes from Nextdoor users: 

“Nextdoor: Please end your relationship with police and discourage surveillance of people. Next Door has many good aspects so let's make it neighborly to all.” -- J.P., Nextdoor user in Utah https://twitter.com/KairosFellows/status/1310663065331998721?s=20

“NextDoor should be about community, which is why I joined. I can imagine people using the easy access to police that ND allows to settle disputes, which I know puts my neighbors of color at increased risk. This makes me especially nervous in my racially diverse neighborhood.” -- K.R., Nextdoor user in Pennsylvania https://twitter.com/KairosFellows/status/1310647965120262144?s=20

“Racism has been my experience with nextdoor — more surveillance than community.” K.N., Nextdoor user in North Carolina https://twitter.com/KairosFellows/status/1310617768161685506?s=20

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Racial justice groups urge Big Tech to do more for Black lives

The “Tech Is Not Neutral” campaign wants tech companies to protect communities of color

For Immediate Release: July 2, 2020
Contact: press@kairosfellows.org

Today Kairos, The Movement for Black Lives, BYP100, Media Justice, 18 Million Rising, and MPower Change released a joint letter urging Amazon, Nextdoor, Microsoft, and Google to take action for Black lives now. The open letter to Silicon Valley calls on CEOs and founders to do more than simply make statements supporting Black Lives Matter. The letter also reinforces demands that Microsoft and Google workers have made of their companies to cut contracts with police. 

Since the recent police shootings of Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and George Floyd, these tech companies have all made statements in support of Black lives. Simultaneously, they have continued their partnerships with police all over the country, and they build platforms that encourage communities to surveil, racially profile, and report each other to law enforcement.

“When we say tech is not neutral, we mean that technology is being used as a force for violence and injustice,” said Jelani Drew, Campaign Manager at Kairos, “If companies don’t hold clear anti-racist values and adopt anti-racist policies, then the tech they create will perpetuate systemic inequities and harmful ideologies like anti-Blackness. We’re seeing this play out in real time with the relationship between police and Amazon, Nextdoor, Microsoft, and Google, where these tech companies have essentially become extensions of law enforcement in critical areas. It’s not enough to make statements on Black Lives Matter. Tech companies must act on their words and cut ties with police.” 

The letter reaffirms the understanding that technology is not neutral.  And that CEOs and founders are responsible for ensuring that their tech innovations are governed with values that protect vulnerable communities—not enable more harm by police departments.

You can view the letter here: techisnotneutral.com

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