Facebook’s frustrated critics take their fight to Washington

A year after the advertising boycott on social media, there’s little evidence that the companies have significantly cleaned up their content, and advocacy groups say their cause is even more exigent. — Bay Area News Group/TNS

After years of directly pressuring Facebook Inc and other social media companies to rid their platforms of hate speech – with limited success – civil rights groups are shifting tack: They’re taking their fight to Washington.

Organisations such as Color of Change, the Anti-Defamation League and Common Sense Media are increasingly pushing Congress and the Biden administration to force tech companies to take more aggressive steps to moderate their sites for bigotry, misinformation, voter suppression and discrimination. Now that Democrats control the White House and a majority in the House and Senate, the groups say, they aim to force change through legislation, rather than just pleading with the companies.