Senators ask: “Will Facebook commit to support the addition of a person with a high-level of civil and human rights expertise to its Board of Directors?”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Robert Menendez, Kamala Harris and Richard Blumenthal today released the text of a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg which echoes shareholder concerns over the social media platform’s policy regarding disinformation, “specifically as it pertains to hate speech, discriminatory targeting and the threats such disinformation poses to civil rights and voting rights in advance of the 2020 election.”
The letter cites the company’s “unprecedented and controversial policy of not fact-checking political candidates’ statements or ads,” a policy that is at odds with those of other tech giants, and complaints by U.S. civil rights organizations about Facebook’s “reckless disregard for civil rights.”
The letter also notes two shareholder proposals that will be voted on at Facebook’s upcoming annual shareholders meeting on May 27th. One proposal, filed by the investment management firm Arjuna Capital, asks the company’s Board of Directors to nominate for the next Board election at least one candidate who has “a high level of human and/or civil rights expertise and experience and is widely recognized as such.” A second proposal, filed by the Nathan Cummings Foundation, emphasizes the importance of holistic infrastructure to facilitate long-term attention to civil rights concerns at the company and asks the Board to evaluate its ability to manage civil and human risks overall.
Michael Connor, Executive Director of Open MIC, a nonprofit organization which helped organize the shareholder proposals, said: “The Senators are correct in their assessment that Facebook’s problems can only be fixed by the company’s senior management and its Board of Directors. Hate speech and disinformation threaten the safety and rights of millions online, especially for people of color. As business leaders in a time of crisis, and with the 2020 elections not far off, Mr. Zuckerberg and his hand-picked board need to demonstrate a better understanding of corporate accountability than they have in recent years.”
Connor commended Senators Menendez, Harris, and Blumenthal for their efforts to hold Facebook accountable. The Senators’ letter highlights the high turnover of leadership at the Board-level at Facebook and the fact that four independent board members have left the company within the last year. The letter specifically asks: “Will Facebook commit to support the addition of a person with a high-level of civil and human rights expertise to its Board of Directors?”
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Open MIC
Michael Connor: (212) 875-9381 or mconnor@openmic.org