Headline Roundup • July 10th, 2020

Facebook Undergoes Independent Civil Rights Audit

Free Speech,Civil Rights,Facebook,Social Media,Hate Speech,Mark Zuckerberg,Technology

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Facebook underwent an independent audit regarding the progress it has made in protecting civil rights, including in counteracting hateful speech. This comes as some companies have mounted an advertising boycott of the social media platform in protest of what they argue to be lacking regulations on hateful speech and conduct. Right-rated voices were more likely to laud Facebook for purportedly not submitting to pressure to censor free speech. Left-rated voices were more likely to condemn Facebook and show support for the boycott, arguing that the company is not using its full power to fight purported misuse of its platform.

Featured Coverage of this Story

Why Facebook failed its civil rights audit

Vox

See rating details

Why Facebook failed its civil rights audit

Vox

Analysis

Facebook has failed on civil rights.

On Wednesday, after two years of work, the social media giant finally released the results of its independent audit, a wide-ranging report on the state of civil rights on Facebook, from hate speech to advertising to algorithmic bias. The auditors found that the company simply hasn’t done enough to combat hate and abuse on its platform.

Following up on two previous updates in December 2018 and June 2019, the audit concludes that the company’s handling of civil rights issues is “too reactive and piecemeal,”...

Open on Vox

Pressure mounts on Facebook to rein in hate speech

The Hill

See rating details

News

Facebook came under renewed public scrutiny Wednesday with the release of an independent audit slamming the platform’s progress on civil rights issues, adding to internal and external pressure on the company to rein in hate speech and misinformation.

The audit was the third shoe to drop this month after a group of high-profile advertisers launched a boycott of the site and following a Democratic National Committee memo bashing the company just months before a crucial election.

Open on The Hill

Mark Zuckerberg Is Right

National Review (News)

See rating details

National Review (News)

Analysis

Mark Zuckerberg clearly hasn’t gotten the memo.

The founder of Facebook persists in defending free expression, even though free speech has fallen decidedly out of fashion.

His reward for adhering to what once would have been a commonsensical, if not banal, view of the value of the free exchange of ideas is to get vilified for running a hate-speech machine and to get boycotted by major American companies.

In a speech at Georgetown University last fall, Zuckerberg stated that it’s important “we hold each other’s right to express our views...

Open on National Review (News)

More headline roundups