Women’s Group Calls Facebook’s So-Called Election Week Political Ad Ban Nothing More Than a PR Stunt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 3, 2020
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com
Women’s Group Calls Facebook’s So-Called Election Week Political Ad Ban Nothing More Than a PR Stunt
UltraViolet Calls Facebook The Largest Vector of Election Interference and Political Disinformation in the United States
Statement from Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet, a leading national women’s organization, on Facebook’s announcement this morning that it would bar new political ads one week before Election Day:
“Facebook’s announcement this morning that it would bar new political ads a week before Election Day is a nothing more than a PR stunt designed to distract from the fact that Facebook is the single biggest vector of dangerous misinformation and voter suppression campaigns in the United States. It falls well short of even being a half measure.
“Voting starts in North Carolina tomorrow. Election Day isn’t in two months, it’s tomorrow and every day after. Which means voters in that state and many others that vote early will be subject to months of dishonest ads on Facebook’s platform. For women and people of color running for office these months of unchecked, untrue racist and sexist attacks are especially damaging.
“If Facebook were serious about stopping the threats of misinformation and election interference it would be fact-checking and removing political ads, in addition to intentionally deceptive posts, that proliferate across the platform. Because the real truth that Facebook refuses to acknowledge is that ads are just a small part of the massive problem at Facebook.
“Mark Zuckerberg is a menace to democracy, and this so-called policy change is a weak attempt to shift blame from the fact that Facebook is and remains one the biggest threats to the 2020 election.”
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