Note: The following is a copy of the letter I wrote and messaged Mark Zuckerberg about through Facebook messenger. Feel free to use it as inspiration to share your own thoughts about how how to keep social media companies accountable to the power they wield in modern society. Let us take care, especially in this moment, to speak truth to power.
Dear Mark Zuckerberg,
Facebook plays a powerful role in today’s society. However, events of the last few weeks suggest that you are not up to the task of leading such an organization into the future. “With great power comes great responsibility.’ Unfortunately, your words, choices, and decisions of late demonstrate that you are not owning up to the responsibility that you have to make sure your platform is a force for social union, not merely to be utilized to undermine the American polis. I am concerned that you are abdicating in the face of tough choices you need to make to stand up to the abuse of power and authority in this country that actively uses your platform to spread lies, hate, and misinformation. As you well know, first amendment protections do not extend to protecting either hate speech or speech that incites violence. Where you would rightly remove and censor content of the average citizen, you have failed to do so with President Trump’s hate-filled and violent speech, and you fail to do so with political leaders across the globe. The president, contrary to what he might think, is not above the law.
I understand that balancing freedom of speech with the duty to protect human dignity is a challenge that no social media company can execute perfectly. It’s something no free society can do perfectly. But we all have to do our part to try. Twitter right now has done a much better job than Facebook in stepping up its efforts to do the right thing with the awesome power it has as a social media platform. Your own employees know that the stance you are currently dictating for your company is wrong. Many Amercians are warning you your lack of action and sidestepping the role you’ve played in this is wrong. I warn you too.
I would remind you of your legacy. If you think for a moment that history will forget that Facebook has been demonstrably shown to do harm in the 2016 election, and continues to allow its platform to be abused by those who wilfully distort the truth for their own social and political power…you’re wrong about that. Listen to the people who are trying to tell you what you need to do right now. It might be messy, you might make mistakes, you may lose influence and power among the culturally conservative–but you will have done the right thing. Get your hands dirty; enter the debate; accept whatever loss of power, prestige, or comfort you think you are gaining by staying on the sidelines.
Thank you for reading my letter.
Respectfully,
Seretha L Curry
Recommended contact: Facebook Messenger.