Facebook ‘Bias’ Audit Misses the Mark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristen Voorhees, [email protected], 202.548.7166

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on Facebook’s audit regarding so-called anti-conservative bias:

“This review is a make-believe solution in search of a phantom problem. Rather than allowing baseless allegations of so-called anti-conservative bias to distract them, Facebook officials should focus on the civil and human rights problems and white supremacist propaganda overrunning its platform. Safeguarding our elections and the census from manipulation and disinformation, as well as fighting hate, are a significant challenge facing social media platforms. Releasing a face-saving report written by a politician with a history of discriminatory remarks about Muslims is not the best first step in addressing these problems. A commitment to civil and human rights is not a ‘right’ or ‘left’ issue – it is about right versus wrong. And its’s something that should concern all of us.”

In August, The Leadership Conference, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and 49 civil rights and public interest groups urged tech companies to enact meaningful changes to reduce online activities that endanger marginalized communities. Read that statement here. Last year, The Leadership Conference and Color Of Change urged Facebook to change its policies and practices to better protect civil and human rights. Read that letter here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.