>>> FACEBOOK HAS TAKEN ITS
BROADEST ACTION YET TO FIGHT
HATE CRIME ON ITS SITE AFTER
YESTERDAY IT CLASSIFIED A LARGE
NUMBER OF BOOGALOO MOVEMENT
ACCOUNTS AS DANGEROUS AND BANNED
THEM.
FACEBOOK ANNOUNCED IN A BLOG
POST THAT IT HAS REMOVED MORE
THAN 300 BOOGALOO FACEBOOK AND
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS, 106 BOOGALOO
GROUPS, AS WELL AS 400
ADDITIONAL GROUPS AND 100 PAGES
THAT HOST CONTENT SUPPORTING THE
MOVEMENT.
FACEBOOK SAID THEY MADE THE
DECISION BECAUSE THE GROUP,
QUOTE, ACTIVELY PROMOTES
VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS, LAW
ENFORCEMENT, AND GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND INSTITUTIONS.
>> WELL, DIDN’T THEY ALREADY
KNOW -- DID THEY JUST FIGURE
THAT OUT YESTERDAY?
>> YEAH.
"WE ARE STEPPING UP OUR EFFORTS
AGAINST THIS NETWORK AND KNOW
THERE IS STILL MORE TO DO."
YOU KNOW WHAT, IF I COULD JUST
SAY, THEY KEEP SAYING THAT.
>> YEAH.
>> WE KNOW WE HAVE MORE TO DO.
>> IT’S HALF STEPS.
>> WE KNOW.
WE KNOW.
WE’RE GOING TO GET BETTER.
THEY’VE BEEN SAYING FOR FIVE
YEARS THAT THEY KNOW THEY HAVE
MORE WORK TO DO.
THE BLOG POST CONTINUES.
"WE KNOW THAT OUR EFFORTS WILL
NEVER COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE
RISK FROM THIS NETWORK OR OTHER
DANGEROUS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE
WILL CONTINUE TO REMOVE CONTENT
AND ACCOUNTS THAT BREAK OUR
RULES SO WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE."
>> SO, WHY DO THEY KNOW THAT
THEY CAN NEVER STOP VIOLENT
PEOPLE WHO ARE RACIST, WHO WANT
TO KILL BLACK PEOPLE AND KILL
JEWS AND KILL MINORITIES?
WHY IS IT THAT YOU CAN NEVER
STOP THAT FROM BEING ON YOUR
SOCIAL NETWORK?
>> HMM.
>> I DON’T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE,
HELL, THE "WASHINGTON POST,"
"THE NEW YORK TIMES," THEY DON’T
LET PEOPLE THAT WRITE RACIST
THINGS AND CALL FOR THE KILLING
OF POLICE OFFICERS --
>> WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
>> YEAH, WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
>> WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL?
>> OH, IT’S BECAUSE YOU DON’T
MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO POLICE IT.
OH, WAIT A SECOND --
>> YOU MAKE SO MUCH MONEY.
>> YOU’RE WORTH $86 BILLION,
MARK.
AND YOU’RE SAYING THAT YOU KNOW
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE HATE GROUPS
AND RACIST GROUPS AND BIGOTED
GROUPS AND DANGEROUS GROUPS?
>> JUST CAN’T DO ANYTHING?
>> AND FOREIGNERS, PEOPLE WHO
ARE TRYING TO INTERFERE IN OUR
ELECTIONS AND YOU CAN’T DO
ANYTHING, BUT HERE’S A HALF
MEASURE?
I DON’T GET IT.
AND I’VE GOT TO SAY TO CONGRESS,
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY CONGRESS
CONTINUES TO ALLOW PEOPLE LIKE
MARK ZUCKERBERG AND SHERYL
SANDBERG AND JACK DORSEY TO MAKE
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
PERSONALLY WHILE KEEPING HATE
GROUPS ON THEIR SITES.
>> ALLOWING THEM TO FESTER.
>> ALLOWING THEM TO FESTER AND
SPREAD.
THEY ALLOW -- THAT MAN RIGHT
THERE IS RESPONSIBLE, MORE THAN
ANYBODY ELSE IN AMERICA, FOR THE
SPREAD OF HATE SPEECH AND RACISM
AND MISINFORMATION ABOUT A
PANDEMIC THAT’S KILLED 130,000
AMERICANS.
AND FOR DISINFORMATION THAT IS
TRYING TO RIG THE ELECTION, TO
ACTUALLY UNDERMINE THE AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY.
AND HE’S DOING A HALF MEASURE,
SAYING OH, WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT.
>> LET’S BRING IN NBC NEWS
REPORTER BEN COLLINS, WHO HAS
BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY
CLOSELY.
BEN, FACEBOOK KEEPS RELEASING
THESE STATEMENTS, SAYING WE KNOW
WE NEED TO GET BETTER.
SO, WHEN?
>> I DON’T KNOW WHEN THEY’RE
GOING TO TAKE THE FULL STEP
THAT’S NECESSARY HERE.
WE KNEW ABOUT THIS FOR A MONTH.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WHAT, TWO
WEEKS AGO?
THERE WAS A TERROR ATTACK THAT
WAS PLANNED ON A FEDERAL AGENT
ON FACEBOOK IN A BOOGALOO
FACEBOOK GROUP.
THAT HAPPENED OVER A MONTH AGO.
THAT HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO.
THAT GROUP GOT REMOVED
YESTERDAY, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE
FACEBOOK IS SORT OF FIGHTING THE
LAST WAR AT ALL TIMES, AND
THEY’RE NOT DEALING WITH
SYSTEMIC ISSUES ON THE PLATFORM,
WHICH IS, YOU KNOW -- I DON’T
KNOW IF YOU’VE SEEN THESE ADS
FOR FACEBOOK GROUPS.
THEY’RE EVERYWHERE.
IF YOU WATCHED THAT MICHAEL
JORDAN DOCUMENTARY ON ESPN, YOU
SAW, IT WAS PRIMARILY SPONSORED
BY THAT.
FACEBOOK GROUPS ARE AN ENORMOUS
PROBLEM FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, BOTH
FOR THE CORONAVIRUS AND FOR
RACISM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BASICALLY, IT DRIVES PEOPLE INTO
THESE SMALLER GROUPS AND THEN
THERE’S THIS ONE UPSMANSHIP THAT
GOES ON IN THESE EXTREMIST
GROUPS WHERE PEOPLE MAY START
JOKING ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR THAT
THEY WANT TO START.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THEY’RE TAKING IT VERY SERIOUSLY
BECAUSE THE RHETORIC ALWAYS GETS
AMPLIFIED AND ONE-UPPED.
AND FACEBOOK IS NEVER REALLY
ENFORCING ANYTHING THAT WOULD
MAKE IT SO THEY WOULD KNOW,
EVEN, IF A TERROR ATTACK WAS
COMING.
>> HEY, BEN, IT’S WILLIE.
FACEBOOK SAYS THEY HAVE AN
ALGORITHM THAT STAMPS OUT MOST
OF THIS HATE SPEECH.
I THINK THEY SAY 90% OF IT
BEFORE IT EVEN GETS DISTRIBUTED
WIDELY.
THEY SAY THEY DO IT BETTER THAN
TWITTER AND OTHER PLACES, BUT
THEY HAVEN’T DONE MUCH UNTIL
THIS AD BOYCOTT CAME OUT A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEY’RE
LOSING ADVERTISERS WHO ARE
PUTTING, BIG COMPANIES, WHO ARE
PUTTING THEIR ADVERTISING ON
PAUSE.
OF COURSE, ADVERTISING IS THE
WHOLE BALL GAME FOR FACEBOOK.
IT’S 98% OF THEIR REVENUE.
SO, HOW MUCH OF THIS EARLY
CHANGE NOW -- THIS IS JUST THE
BEGINNING, PERHAPS -- IS COMING
FROM THE PRESSURE FROM
ADVERTISERS?
>> I WOULD SAY ALL OF IT.
I’VE BEEN COVERING THIS STUFF
FOR A HALF DECADE OR SOMETHING,
COVERING FACEBOOK SPECIFICALLY
AND HOW THEY DEAL WITH THIS
STUFF, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN A
SEA CHANGE LIKE THIS HAS BEEN,
AND IT’S BECAUSE MONEY TALKS,
RIGHT?
THIS IS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND THEY’RE REALLY BIG-MONEY
ADVERTISERS, LIKE UNILEVER AND
STARBUCKS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY ARE SAYING, LOOK, WE HAVE
TO GET A GRIP ON THIS STUFF.
AND THIS IS THE ISSUE WITH THE
BOOGALOO STUFF.
IT’S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE.
YOU CAN STOMP OUT SPECIFIC
RACIAL SLURS.
YOU CAN STOMP OUT, YOU KNOW,
SPECIFIC HATE SPEECH.
BUT ONCE YOU START TO --
EXTREMISTS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE
WAY TO GET AROUND THAT, AND IT’S
THE TALK ABOUT KUTZIE THINGS,
LIKE CALLING IT THE BOOGALOO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE.
THAT MAKES IT ALLOWED ON THESE
PLATFORMS.
IF SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT MOVIES OR SOMETHING.
SO, YOU NEED REAL ENFORCEMENT.
YOU NEED REAL ACTUAL, YOU KNOW,
POLICE-STYLE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS
STUFF, IF YOU WANT TO STOMP IT
OUT.
AND I ASKED THEM YESTERDAY.
I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS
GROUP WAS CALLED SOMETHING LIKE
ISIS OR SOMETHING INSTEAD OF THE
BOOGALOO, WOULD THIS REALLY --
WOULD YOU REALLY HAVE WAITED A
MONTH AFTER A TERROR ATTACK TO
TAKE THESE GROUPS DOWN?
AND THE ANSWER IS NOT REALLY,
YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN’T REALLY
GIVE A FULL-THROATED ANSWER HERE
BECAUSE THEY CAN’T -- THEY DON’T
REALLY HAVE ONE.
THEY ARE RIGHT NOW FINALLY
STARTING TO SEE THE MOUNTING
PRESSURE THAT WILL AFFECT THEIR
BUSINESS IF THEY DON’T MAKE A
CHANGE.
AND I THINK IF THE PRESSURE
KEEPS MOUNTING, I THINK THEY
EVENTUALLY WILL MAKE A CHANGE.
>> BEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WILLIE MENTIONED THE AD BOYCOTT,
GROWING PRESSURE FOR THE SOCIAL
MEDIA GIANT TO TAKE DOWN HATE
SPEECH ON ITS PLATFORM.
WITH OVER 300 ADVERTISERS DUE TO
BOYCOTT FACEBOOK AS PART OF THE
STOP HATE FOR PROFIT CAMPAIGN.
AND THERE ARE NOW PLANS FOR THE
BOYCOTT TO GO GLOBAL.
JOINING US, WITH THE
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE AND
LEADING PARTNER IN THE FACEBOOK
BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN, JONATHAN
GREENBLATT.
VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE
SHOW.
MAJOR COMPANIES ARE TAKING PART
IN THIS BOYCOTT, BUT SOME OF
THEM ARE JUST A MONTH.
IS IT GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE
AD DOLLARS NOT COMING THEIR WAY
FOR FACEBOOK TO MAKE CHANGES
BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN PROMISING
TO GET BETTER FOR A LONG TIME
AND HAVEN’T REALLY COME THROUGH.
THEY NEVER DO IT IN A
FULL-THROATED WAY.
>> YEAH, I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT,
MIKA, AND I WOULD CREDIT YOU AND
JOE FOR A LONG TIME FOR TRYING
TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS
ISSUE.
FOR 15 YEARS, FACEBOOK HAS BUILT
THE LARGEST PLATFORM IN THE
HISTORY OF BUSINESS AND HAVE
FAILED TO KEEP THEIR CONSUMERS
SAFE.
THE IDEA WAS MENTIONED A MOMENT
AGO THAT THESE BOOGALOO GROUPS
ARE NOW JUST COMING OFF THE
PLATFORM IS NUTS.
AND NO OTHER BUSINESS WOULD
TOLERATE THIS.
SO, WHEN WE STARTED THIS
CAMPAIGN TWO WEEKS AGO -- KEEP
IN MIND, TWO WEEKS AGO, ADL,
NAACP, COLOR OF CHANGE, COMMON
SENSE MEDIA, WE DIDN’T HAVE A
SINGLE BUSINESS WITH US, NOT
ONE.
TWO WEEKS TO THE DAY, THERE ARE
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF SMALL TO
MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES, SOME OF
THE MOST ICONIC AMERICAN
BRANDS -- LEVI’S, COCA-COLA,
STARBUCKS, HERSHEY’S, KIND
SNACKS, AND A NUMBER OF
OTHERS -- AND GLOBAL BUSINESSES,
AS YOU JUST SAID, ARE COMING
ON -- DIAGEO, ACURA, VW, LEGO,
S.A.P., UNILEVER.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, MIKA,
LITERALLY, WE CANNOT KEEP UP
WITH THE INCOMING.
OUR PHONES -- LIKE, MY PHONE HAS
RUNG OFF THE HOOK FOR A WEEK.
CEOs, ADVERTISING AGENCIES,
FIRMS, THEY ARE ALL FRUSTRATED.
THEIR ADS FOR TOO LONG HAVE
SUBSIDIZED THIS HATE.
I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE TO
KEEP IN MIND.
BOOGALOO GROUPS, HOLOCAUST
DENIALISM, RACIST CONTENT, WHITE
SUPREMACIST CONTENT, IT’S THE
ADS FROM LIKE VERIZON AND
SALESFORCE AND PANERA THAT HAVE
BEEN SUBSIDIZING THIS CONTENT.
IT’S ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS.
AND EVERYONE AGREES, IT’S GOT TO
CHANGE.
>> HEY, IT’S WILLIE GEIST.
YOU HAVE FACEBOOK LISTENING IN A
WAY THEY NEVER HAVE BEFORE
BECAUSE OF THIS AD BOYCOTT.
SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE FACEBOOK’S
ATTENTION, WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU
WANT THEM TO DO AS A PRACTICAL
MATTER AND WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE
HAVE YOU RECEIVED SPECIFICALLY
FROM FACEBOOK?
>> WELL, IT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
I MEAN, THE GOAL HERE WAS
NEVER -- WE DIDN’T IMAGINE WE
WOULD PUT A DENT IN THEIR PML.
IT’S A $70 BILLION MACHINE.
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD MAKE A POINT
ABOUT THEIR PRACTICES, BECAUSE
INDEED, THE THINGS WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT HERE AREN’T INTENDED TO BANKRUPT THE COMPANY OR UP-END
BANKRUPT THE COMPANY OR UP-END
THE BUSINESS MODEL.
TAKE OFF THE WHITE SUPREMACIST,
HOLOCAUST DENIALISM AND
CONSPIRACY CONTENT.
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THAT ON
ANY MAINSTREAM MEDIA PLATFORM.
THEY SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR
THEIR ADVERTISERS.
AND IF ADS SHOW UP ALONGSIDE
THIS KIND OF CONTENT, THEY
SHOULD REFUND THE COMPANIES,
POINT BLANK.
THEY SHOULD PROVIDE SERVICES.
THE ADL STUDIES HATE, WE MONITOR
IT.
THAT’S WHAT WE DO.
IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON ONLINE
HARASSMENT, SOME 28% OF USERS
REPORT BEING SEVERELY HARASSED,
BUT FACEBOOK IS THE PLACE WHERE
IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN ANY
OTHER PLATFORM.
IF YOU GET HARASSED ON FACEBOOK,
THE COMPANY SHOULD PROVIDE YOU
SOME DEGREE OF SERVICE AND
SUPPORT.
THAT’S JUST HOW EVERY OTHER
BUSINESS DOES IT.
AND TWO OTHER QUICK POINTS.
THEY SHOULD, SIMPLY PUT, REMOVE
THE POLITICAL EXEMPTION.
THERE IS NO CONTEXT WHATSOEVER
WHERE IT’S REASONABLE FOR
POLITICIANS TO CALL FOR VIOLENCE
OR FOR VOTER DISINFORMATION TO
BE ALLOWED, NOT JUST ON ELECTION
DAY, EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.
AND FINALLY, INDEPENDENT,
THIRD-PARTY, REGULAR,
PREDICTABLE AUDITS, WHOSE
RESULTS ARE PUBLISHED.
AGAIN, WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
HERE IS NOT ALL THAT HARD.
AND IN THE LAST 48 HOURS,
YOUTUBE HAS TAKEN STEPS, REDDIT.
IT’S LONG OVERDUE FOR FACEBOOK
TO DO THE SAME.
>> AND YOU’RE SO RIGHT,
JONATHAN.
IF YOU WANT JUST AN EXAMPLE OF
HOW IRRESPONSIBLE FACEBOOK HAS
BEEN AND HOW IRRESPONSIBLE THEY
CONTINUE TO BE, LOOK AT THE FACT
THAT A FEDERAL OFFICIAL, LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WAS
ASSASSINATED BY A BOOGALOO BOY,
AND IT’S TAKEN THEM A COUPLE OF
WEEKS TO ACTUALLY CLEAN UP THOSE
SITES. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU HAVE -- I REMEMBER
GETTING TEXTS FROM FRIENDS
TALKING ABOUT THIS "PLAN
DENIMIC" MOVIE THAT WAS CLEARLY,
CLEARLY A CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT
WAS CAUSING REAL HEALTH CONCERNS
FOR DOCTORS WHO ALSO TALKED TO
ME ABOUT IT, SAYING THEY ARE
CREATING A CONSPIRACY THEORY
THAT ARE MAKING PEOPLE BELIEVE
THIS PLANNED ISANDEMIC IS NOTHIN
THAN A GEORGE SOROS-BACKED
CONSPIRACY THEORY.
AND THEY KEPT IT UP FOR MONTHS.
IT GOT MORE VIEWS THAN TAYLOR
SWIFT VIDEOS, THAN OFFICE
REUNIONS, BUT THEY KEPT IT UP.
AND EVEN NOW, THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES IS GENERATING
LIES.
TO TRY TO UNDERMINE OUR
ELECTION.
WE KNOW THAT FOREIGN COUNTRIES
USE FACEBOOK FIRST TO INTERFERE
WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND THEY
DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!
SO, IF YOU’RE COCA-COLA, LIKE,
WHY DO YOU WANT TO EVER FUND --
WHICH, OF COURSE, THEY’RE NOT --
ANTI-SEMITISM, RACISM AGAINST
BLACKS?
AS YOU SAID, HOLOCAUST DENIERS,
GIVING THEM A PLATFORM, BOOGALOO
DENIERS, GIVING THEM A PLATFORM.
AND UP TO THIS ELECTION, GIVING
A PLATFORM TO PEOPLE TRYING TO
UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY OF
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN THIS
ELECTION.
HOW COULD ANYBODY GO BACK TO
FUNDING THAT UNTIL THEY CLEAN
UP?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, THERE IS SIMPLY
PUT NO BUSINESS CASE FOR
BIGOTRY.
THERE ARE -- YOU KNOW WHAT’S
HARD?
WHAT’S HARD IS REACHING 2.6
BILLION CONSUMERS, GENERATING
$18.5 BILLION IN PROFITS.
YOU KNOW WHAT’S EASY?
REMOVING WHITE NATIONALISTS.
YOU KNOW WHAT’S EASY?
TAKING DOWN PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
COMMIT VIOLENCE AGAINST
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
THAT, I’M SORRY, ISN’T HARD.
BUT JOE, THERE IS A SILVER
LINING AND A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS.
ON FRIDAY, AS OUR CAMPAIGN
GAINED STEAM, FACEBOOK’S STOCK
PLUMMETED 8.25% AND SHAVED OFF
$56 BILLION IN MARKET VALUATION.
STOP HATE FOR PROFIT IS DOING
SOMETHING THAT’S NEVER HAPPENED
BEFORE, WE ARE FINALLY BRINGING
FACEBOOK TO THE TABLE, AND WE
WILL PRESS AND WE WILL PUSH AND
WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THEY
AGREE TO STUFF THAT I THINK ALL
OF US AGREE IS SIMPLY COMMON
SENSE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CEO AND NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE, JONATHAN
GREENBLATT.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON.
I LOVE WATCHING YOU ON REVEREND
AL’S SHOW ALSO TALKING ABOUT
ANTI-SEMITISM.
WE GREATLY, GREATLY APPRECIATE
YOU GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT
WITH ANTI-SEMITISM AS WE KNOW
CONTINUING TO SPREAD EVERYWHERE
FROM BROOKLYN TO EUROPE, AS IT