We call for a one-day boycott of Facebook on Inauguration Day, January 20th 2017, in order to demand action and transparency on the fake news problem and to create a public forum where Facebook and other social media corporations can be held accountable for the effects their products have on our society’s welfare. We refuse to continue to let these corporations profit off of us, their users, while causing irreparable harm to our society.

Do what you can: We've heard from many of you that you're using Facebook to organize protests and marches on Jan. 20th/21st. You can still participate in the Face/Off! Just limit your interaction with Facebook to the bare essentials (for example, just use Messenger if all you're doing is communicating with friends). Don't share/post/like things; just share/post/like one day before or after.

Why we need to act

FACT: Social media helps people spread fake news and foment hate to push their own extremist agendas or just to line their pockets, with consequences dangerous both to individuals (such as encouraging acts of violence against innocent businesses and their patrons) and to the entire world (such as electing an unqualified candidate as President of the United States).

FACT: Simply adding new algorithms and allowing users to flag news items as fake isn’t enough. We need these corporations to make a sustained long-term commitment to combatting this and other societal problems stemming from the use of social media and to engage in an open and transparent dialogue with the public.

FACT: Social media is run by for-profit corporations whose sole purpose is to enrich their shareholders. Their goal is to maximize the amount of time that we, their users, spend on their platforms. Their negative impact on society is left to be cleaned up after the damage is done.

Therefore:

RESOLVED: We the People refuse to be grist in the social media advertising mill.

RESOLVED: We the People refuse to be drowned in a sea of sensationalism and lies.

RESOLVED: We the People demand our voice be heard in every boardroom and executive suite when our society's welfare is at stake.

RESOLVED: We the People call for an Inauguration Face/Off.

By signing this petition, you are declaring your participation in a one-day boycott of Facebook on January 20th, 2017, the day the 45th President of the United States will be inaugurated.

Boycotting means: don't open the Facebook website or app, don't open notifications, don't share, don't like.

We demand that Facebook increase transparency and accountability about its actions and policies affecting society's welfare, both in general and on the fake news problem in particular. We make the following specific demands:

We demand that Facebook issue quarterly statements about the state of the fake news problem on its platform. These statements must include an account of the continuing scale of the problem, the measures it has implemented or is planning to implement to address the problem, and the outcomes of those measures.

We demand that Facebook create a way for users to petition Facebook to address issues of public concern. Facebook must publicly respond within 30 days to all petitions that gather over 100,000 signatures.

Furthermore, we will renew our boycott once a month until Facebook agrees to our demands.

Q&A:

Why January 20th?

The boycott will be held on January 20th. Social media's role in spreading fake news and platform for disseminating lies during the 2016 electoral campaign helped elect a President many of us believe unqualified for the job. January 20th is Inauguration Day, and so stands as a symbol of social media's abdication of responsibility. We choose to make our voice heard on that day.

Why do you hate Facebook?

We don't hate Facebook. We love scrolling through cat videos and our friends' selfies as much as you do. We could ask for a general boycott of all social media so we don't single out just one platform, but let's face it, social media is indispensable these days, and it would be unrealistic to ask people to boycott all social media even just for a day.

Facebook is the largest and most powerful platform, and so we believe it must take leadership on issues of transparency and accountability. If we can force Facebook to change, then other platforms will follow suit. That said, we don't rule out future boycotts of other social media platforms.

Isn't Facebook fixing fake news already?

We applaud Facebook's efforts to address the fake news problem. However, we want to make sure that Facebook is not doing it just for PR's sake, and that it remains committed to solving this problem even after the current news cycle shifts on to other topics. That is why we demand quarterly public reports on this issue.

Furthermore, there will inevitably be new problems arising from social media that affect the public welfare. That is why we demand a petition mechanism requiring Facebook to respond to user demands, so that the next time a problem surfaces we can demand that it act before the problem becomes pervasive.

What does the Inauguration Face/Off cover?

It covers all Facebook-branded properties, including the Facebook website and mobile app. It does not cover Messenger, Instagram, Oculus, WhatsApp, or other Facebook subsidiaries. If you're not sure about whether something is covered, err on the side of caution and boycott it.

What if my event / business / job depends on access to Facebook?

If you need Facebook for a one-time event that falls on or around Jan. 20th, try to use a different service. The boycott does not cover Facebook Messenger so if you need to communicate with people on the 20th, you can use Facebook Messenger. If your business promotes itself on Facebook, try promoting somewhere else on Jan. 20th. If your job really depends on using Facebook (like you would be fired if you didn't get on it that day), then limit your interaction with Facebook on Jan 20th to just what's necessary to perform your job and avoid browsing, liking, and sharing things.

Where will I get my news on that day?!

Visit your favorite newspaper or online news sites directly. It might not be as convenient as your Facebook News Feed, but who knows you might stumble on something you wouldn't have seen otherwise.



Is one day enough?

That depends on how many people we get! Share this petition and get your friends and family to join the boycott. The more voices are with us, the more likely Facebook is to agree to our demands. If Facebook doesn't agree to our demands after the first boycott, we'll renew it once a month until they do.