LDF Exits Meta’s Civil Rights Advisory Committee Over Harmful Content Moderation Practices, Urges Company to Reverse Course on DEIA Rollbacks

Read a PDF of our statement here.

In two letters sent to Mark Zuckerberg today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) has removed itself from Meta's external civil rights advisory group due to concerns over its content moderation and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policy changes.

Earlier this year, Meta announced several changes to its content moderation policies, including ending third-party fact checking and removing automated systems that cull hateful speech. The letter from LDF to Mark Zuckerberg highlights that these changes will have a series of negative consequences for Black and other historically marginalized communities, ranging from rises in hate-motivated violence to an increased spread of mis- and disinformation.

Separately, LDF also sent a letter to Meta urging the company to reverse course on its decision to roll back diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies. This change could reinforce discriminatory barriers to employment at Meta and further exacerbate the potential for harm to Black communities using Meta's platforms.

"LDF worked hard and in good faith with Meta's leadership and its civil rights advisory group to help ensure the company's workforce reflected the values and racial makeup of the United States and to advance policies that prioritized safety for the many diverse communities who use Meta's platforms, " said Todd A. Cox, Associate-Director Counsel at LDF. "Now, we cannot in good conscience support a company that is knowingly taking steps to implement policy changes that will sow further division and violence across the United States. We urge Meta to reverse course on these dangerous changes."

Today's action from LDF comes after the organization joined a coalition of other civil rights organizations to draw Zuckerberg's attention to the dangers of its content moderation policies.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Equal Protection Initiative seeks to defend and advance the proper interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and anti-discrimination law so that we can all continue to advance equal opportunity for all. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957-although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.