LETTER: Help stop racism; boycott Facebook

FILE PHOTO: Facebook symbol is seen on a motherboard in this picture illustration

FILE PHOTO: Facebook symbol is seen on a motherboard in this picture illustration

Published Jul 9, 2020

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OPINION - SOME major corporations, smaller companies and advertisers with a social conscience are boycotting

and ditching Facebook because

of its implicit and explicit support of racism and xenophobia, hate speech and misinformation and far right-wing causes.

This corporate flight is moving fast and gaining momentum. This corporate pressure could force changes, since 90% of Facebook’s revenues come from advertising.

When I was taunted and my tech intelligence questioned by some ignorant friends for refusing, and still refusing to use the platform, they could not even understand my basic argument of the abuse some individuals, communities and society in general suffer on Facebook.

However, the critical and fundamental question is whether Facebook subscribers and users

will follow suit, in a stand against racism, and other similar unconscionable propositions.

South African Facebook users are frequently (daily) exposed to horrific racist rants, taunts and hate, even apparently on, and in, groups.

Maybe Facebook’s decades old and archaic policies should be interrogated on Facebook itself.

Users should use their voice and fingers to support this campaign for social justice against Facebook.

The effects of racist hate, similar to the structural and institutionalised policies of apartheid, cannot be left unchecked. Or is racism and hate speech a way of life on Facebook?

Daily News

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