AAPF STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE #STOPHATEFORPROFIT STRIKE

“Facebook ignores hate & disinformation on their site. This is not an ‘operational mistake.’ It is a deliberate decision to put profits over people and democracy.” - The NAACP, on the importance of the #StopHateForProfit Strike      

As platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have continued to ignore the safety of the Black community, their negligence has led to violent harassment and the loss of innocent lives offline. Increasingly, it appears that social media has become a platform that enables racism and extremism to fuel hate and disinformation. 

Today, the African American Policy Forum stands in solidarity with the NAACP and their partner organizations in the Stop Hate for Profit coalition social media strike. We will refrain from posting on Instagram and Facebook today, September 16th, and hope you will join us. 

As AAPF engages in digital protest, we demand that platforms such as Facebook and Instagram address racism, violence, hate, and electoral misinformation. These steps include taking down groups centered around white supremacy, racist militias, anti-semitism, Islamophobia, and/or violent conspiracies. In addition, Facebook and Instagram should increase resources for monitoring groups for hate speech and violence while ensuring accuracy in the representation and proliferation of political information. 

We strongly believe that racism and discrimination have no place on social media or in our communities and it is incumbent on Facebook and Instagram to engage robustly to eradicate the hateful content which proliferates on their platforms. 

To support the NAACP and stand in solidarity with the Stop Hate For Profit coalition campaign and demands, visit https://www.stophateforprofit.org/demand-change