This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
Facebook's top executives have been accused of failing to offer meaningful action on curbing hateful content, despite a meeting with organisers of a Facebook ad boycott.
At a virtual meeting that included Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, the #StopHateForProfit coalition leaders 'didn't hear anything... to convince us that Zuckerberg and his colleagues are taking action,' said Jessica Gonzalez of the activist group Free Press, a coalition member.
Facebook has steadfastly refused to fact-check political speech and has a largely hands-off policy on comments from world leaders, but it has said it will take down comments that could lead to imminent harm.
Earlier this week, Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg pledged further steps to remove toxic and hateful content ahead of the discussions with the boycott organisers, led by the NAACP, Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League.
She added that the Silicon Valley giant would be announcing policy updates as a result of discussions with civil rights activists and its own audit of civil rights practices.
"Facebook has to get better at finding and removing hateful content," Sandberg wrote.
"We are making changes -- not for financial reasons or advertiser pressure, but because it is the right thing to do."
