RELEASE: Facebook Commits to Civil Rights Audit After Being Pressed By Advocates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2018

CONTACT: Alison Sotomayor communications@nhmc.org

Facebook Commits to Civil Rights Audit After Being Pressed By Advocates

On May 2, 2018, Facebook announced that it would conduct a civil rights audit to examine the impact its products and policies have on communities of color and underrepresented communities. Facebook simultaneously announced that it would seek advice on potential bias against conservative content. NHMC along with several other civil rights organizations called on Facebook to commit to this audit in a letter sent over six months ago on October 30, 2017.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition released the following statement:

"NHMC has long been concerned about the negative impact Facebook has had on Latinos, to the extent the platform has been used to cement stereotypes of and incite hate towards the Latino community or shut out Latino voices. After many months of advocacy together with allied organizations, we are pleased Facebook has committed to conducting a civil rights audit. This is an encouraging first step. We are hopeful the audit will be thorough and comprehensively address the issues we have raised."

For interviews, please contact at Alison Sotomayor at communications@nhmc.org.

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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is the media watchdog for the Latino community, ensuring that we are fairly and consistently represented in news and entertainment and that our voices are heard over the airwaves and on the internet.

We exist to challenge executives and influencers throughout the entertainment and news industry to eliminate barriers for Latinos to express themselves and be heard through every type of medium. NHMC works to bring decision-makers to the table to open new opportunities for Latinos to create, contribute and consume programming that is inclusive, free from bias and hate rhetoric, affordable and culturally relevant.

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