Coalition of Feminist and Tech Justice Organizations Condemn Meta’s Censorship of the Cornell Rape Case

For Immediate Release: October 8, 2026
Contact: media@fwdshift.com

Signatories include leading advocacy groups working at the intersection of survivor and tech justice, such as UltraViolet, Repro Uncensored, Reckoning Action, the National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women’s Defense League (NWDL), Women’s March, Kairos Fellowship, and Safe Horizon.

UltraViolet, a leading national women-led gender-justice organization that works to hold the tech and corporate sectors accountable for harms against women and gender-expansive people, launched the coalition campaign alongside major survivor justice and tech justice organizations in the wake of reports that Meta is suppressing discourse related to the Cornell rape case across its platforms:

“We’re in the midst of a classic censorship cycle designed to silence survivor voices,” said Jenna Sherman, Campaign Director at UltraViolet. “First, Cornell tried to cover up this horrific case. Then, legacy media ignored it. Now, after Jane Doe and brave student journalists finally brought this story to light, Meta appears to be censoring content about the case across its platforms. Time after time, the onus is on survivors and other primarily-women allies to bring awareness to violence enacted upon them. And Meta isn’t even letting us freely do that. Meanwhile, Meta gutted protections for women last year and was just found to be running more than 300 paid advertisements containing suspected AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It’s clear that Zuckerberg seems to be all about “free speech” with the exception of women and our need to protect each other from rape culture.”

As public outrage over the Cornell case and lack of accountability for the alleged rapists grew online over the past weeks, Meta Platforms, Instagram and Facebook’s parent company, made headlines after being called out by actress Florence Pugh for placing a “sensitive-content” warning over her Instagram post in which Pugh expressed support for Jane Doe, shared her anger over the case, and called on institutions and men to speak out and take action on behalf of women. Pugh responded directly to the warning on Instagram, asking, “Am I censored for talking about rape?” Pugh went on to upload a second version of the original post, which was also ultimately covered with a sensitive-content label. Pugh is one of many users claiming that their posts are being censored, labeled, or shadowbanned by Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

In response, a coalition of gender justice, tech accountability, and pro-democracy organizations launched a joint campaign calling on Mark Zuckerberg and Meta leadership to stop censoring discourse about the case, and called on users to report any instances of censorship about this case via Repro Uncensored’s reporting tool. Already, more than 29,000 individuals have signed onto the petition, underscoring the mass rejection over Meta’s suppression of content related to the Cornell case.

“The reports we are receiving of Meta’s silencing of people speaking out about the Cornell case are deeply concerning and expose direct harm to our freedom of speech and democracy. Survivors and advocates already facing stigma and immense psychological burdens are being digitally ostracized and cut off from communities offering support and demanding accountability. These reports reflect a wider pattern documented by Repro Uncensored in thousands of digital censorship cases across more than 50 countries affecting feminist advocacy, reproductive health information and communities facing discrimination, with critical information removed, accounts disabled and advocates left without clear explanations or meaningful appeals. Meta must restore wrongfully suppressed content and address the systemic failures that perpetuate censorship, reinforce stigma and deepen online harm,” said Martha Dimitratou, Founder and Executive Director of Repro Uncensored.

“There is a massive difference between giving people a choice about the content they engage with and tech oligarchs deliberately burying conversations about sexual violence,” said Cheyenne Hunt, Executive Director, Reckoning Action. “The reason we know about Jane Doe, her story — and how she was failed by every institution meant to protect her — is precisely because survivors, advocates, and allies across the country are using their platforms to demand accountability and justice. We will continue to make ourselves heard, no matter how difficult Meta tries to make it.”

“Survivors should never have to fight to make their voices heard.” said Kim Villanueva, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW). “When social media platforms bury conversations about sexual violence, they don’t just limit speech; they help create the silence in which rape culture thrives. Jane Doe’s story deserves to be heard. Survivors deserve to be heard. And we will not be silenced.”

“Survivors face enormous obstacles when coming forward and they should not have to fight tech companies with billions of dollars for the right to share what happened to them, warn others and demand accountability,” said Sarah Higginbotham, Co-Founder & Co-Director of the National Women’s Defense League. “This year survivors and advocates have used the power of social media like never before to shine a light, seek justice and build powerful community–and it’s working. Any efforts by Meta to suppress voices like Jane Doe’s is dangerous and wildly out of step with the public and the nearly 1 in 2 women in the U.S. who have experienced sexual violence.”

“Women are at a breaking point. We carry the fear of sexual assault in the keys between our knuckles, the drink we never set down, the text to a friend when we get home. This should be unacceptable to everyone, not just women, and it is especially unacceptable that the platforms survivors rely on to find each other are burying their stories,” said Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Executive Director of Women’s March. “That’s why, on October 8, we’re organizing a national day of action to bring national attention to this case and to survivors everywhere, from Foley Square in New York City to campuses and communities across the country. We won’t stop there — we will keep up the pressure on Cornell, on Meta, and on every institution that protects abusers instead of survivors. We will organize now until we get justice and safety for survivors.”

“We know from thousands of survivors that telling your story takes extraordinary courage. To have that story censored or algorithmically suppressed is unacceptable. Powerful people protect powerful people,” said Laura Davies, Chief Development and Communications Officer at Safe Horizon. “But there is more power in all of us. They can try to silence survivors. We won’t stop speaking up. Safe Horizon has been here 24/7/365 for 48 years. We’d love to go out of business. Until then, we’re here.”

The full coalition includes: Democracy for America Advocacy Fund, Kairos Fellowship, National Campaign for Justice, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women’s Defense League (NWDL), Reckoning Action, ReproAction, Repro Uncensored, Safe Horizon, Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), TakeItBack.Org, The Juggernaut Project, UltraViolet, and Women’s March.

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weareultraviolet.org

UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.