To: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook
Facebook: Stop censoring victims of police violence
Videos posted to Twitter and Facebook have proven an unparalleled tool to expose and fight police violence. Facebook must immediately stop censoring victims of police violence at the request of police.
Why is this important?
Last week, Korryn Gaines was shot and killed in Baltimore County, Md., home after police arrived at her house to arrest her on traffic charges. Her 5-year-old son, who was in the home with her, was also shot.
During the seven-hour standoff with police, Korryn continuously uploaded videos to Facebook and Instagram so that she could communicate with friends, family, and the public about what has happening to her and her child.
But after police requested that Facebook, which also owns the media network Instagram, remove the videos, Korynn's account was deactivated and all her previous videos and posts were removed.
Because anyone can document and expose police violence by uploading a video, social media has become one of the most powerful tools we have to fight police violence. Body cameras often fail, so video taken from eyewitnesses and victims is sometimes the only available record of what happened.
This isn't the first time Facebook has censored victims—and as our country grapples with issues of systemic racism and police violence, silencing and censoring the communities impacted directly is a dangerous regression.
During the seven-hour standoff with police, Korryn continuously uploaded videos to Facebook and Instagram so that she could communicate with friends, family, and the public about what has happening to her and her child.
But after police requested that Facebook, which also owns the media network Instagram, remove the videos, Korynn's account was deactivated and all her previous videos and posts were removed.
Because anyone can document and expose police violence by uploading a video, social media has become one of the most powerful tools we have to fight police violence. Body cameras often fail, so video taken from eyewitnesses and victims is sometimes the only available record of what happened.
This isn't the first time Facebook has censored victims—and as our country grapples with issues of systemic racism and police violence, silencing and censoring the communities impacted directly is a dangerous regression.