On Saturday, October 17, millions of us came together for No Kings: Vote Early, the largest single-day early vote activation in American history. Right at the height of our national day of action, Meta unexpectedly suspended the No Kings Coalition’s Instagram account. The page was completely hidden, and then administrators were locked out for hours without any justification. After intense public backlash, Meta restored access and gave a flimsy excuse for the suspension that doesn’t align with known facts. This censorship extended beyond the No Kings official handle: subsequent amplification of the incident by independent creators prompted the removal of posts on their personal accounts as well.
At a time when corporate colluders and tech billionaires are pouring millions of dollars into our elections and putting their thumbs on the scales for their political cronies across the globe, this silencing of opposition voices should alarm us all, regardless of our politics. It’s a warning sign for democracy – and we expect Congress to act now.
Let your Members of Congress know you expect them to investigate this incident and hold tech giants accountable for any attempts to interfere in our elections.
Dear Senator/Representative,
I am writing today, disturbed by the censorship we witnessed this weekend as Meta suspended the No Kings Coalition Instagram channel, without explanation, amid the largest vote early activation in our country’s history.
As we head into the final weeks of the election cycle, this must be taken as a serious threat. I expect you to:
- Investigate Meta: The suspension of the No Kings account was not an isolated incident, and the full extent of Meta’s use of suspensions and its algorithm to influence elections must be brought to light.
- Protect our Elections from Big Tech interference: Now more than ever, as tech companies dump millions into our elections, I expect you to hold the line to protect your constituents from election interference.