Facebook’s Pause on Political Ads After the Election is Not a Substitution for Moderating Content from Right-Wing Groups Who Undermine Democracy

Rashad Robinson, Spokesperson for Color Of Change PAC, issued the following statement on the announcement that Facebook will temporarily pause political ads in the U.S. after polls close in the 2020 election on November 3rd.

“Facebook’s announcement that it will stop running political ads in the U.S. after polls close for the 2020 election on Nov. 3 is not enough.

The solution goes beyond simply banning political ads — this is not a substitution for moderating content and enforcing policies when right wing actors are intent on delegitimizing the election. If leadership is not intent on regulating their platform, this ad ban could harm advocacy organizations from mobilizing their members, and impede their efforts to ensure people can have their votes counted.

Our democracy is on the line today and Facebook needs to do more immediately to help preserve it. It still has much more work to do to make certain its policies truly root out voter suppression and disinformation. Right now, for instance, election misinformation can still be shared via posts, which Facebook’s core algorithms are built to spread and overtake legitimate news sources.

Our chance at a fair election process still hangs in the balance, and Facebook has much more to do up until the election and after.”

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Color Of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share our values, and holding them accountable to our communities. For more information on Color Of Change PAC, visit votingwhileblack.com.

Paid Pol. Adv. paid for by ColorOfChange PAC,
1714 Franklin St., Oakland, CA 94612, independently of and not authorized by any federal, state, or local candidate or candidate’s committee.