Facebook hasn’t been having a great year. Having faced criticism for security issues and its inability to deal with the spread of misinformation — as well as their alleged retaliation against their critics — they’re now under fire for refusing to take down a doctored video of Nancy Pelosi being spread by conservatives, including the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The video takes a video of the House Speaker at a recent event for the Center of American Progress and slows it down by 75%, making it look like she’s slurring her words. According to the Washington Post, the video also changed the pitch of her voice so it would sound legit.
Once the video was debunked, social media giants were quick to take it down — except for Facebook. According to a statement released Friday, the video — which has been viewed 1.5 million times — remains on air “because false information alone does not violate the site’s rules.” Instead, they added notes from fact-checkers, pointing out the video’s illegitimacy.
That’s not enough, many feel. On Twitter, the longtime hashtag #DeleteFacebook received a shot in the arm, with people displeased with Facebook higher-ups’ handling of another doctored video pushed by conservatives.
There is no excuse for us to continue to use, support, or allow to continue, an amoral media platform like Facebook. Deliberate electronic manipulation of speech – political or not, for or against any political POV – is not free speech. It’s societal suicide. #DeleteFacebook https://t.co/LgVMSl7GtQ
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) May 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/themintytea/status/1132132799295569920
https://twitter.com/amber_harris16/status/1132134607569076226
https://twitter.com/h3artbl33d/status/1131986094235553793
Facebook doesn't exist for me. #DeleteFacebook
— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) May 25, 2019
Others were content to at least make jokes.
https://twitter.com/coolcam101/status/1132141843661983744
#DeleteFacebook and Tila Tequila are trending… does this mean Myspace is coming back!?
— Tim Chantarangsu (@TimothyDeLaG) May 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/coolcam101/status/1132172932153630720
https://twitter.com/fortunefunny/status/1132143619178057728
https://twitter.com/AlexWhitcomb/status/1132134784954540032
https://twitter.com/jeremynewberger/status/1132258268351520769
When I see Instagram and Facebook users trying to come to Twitter #DeleteInstagram #DeleteFacebook pic.twitter.com/VXbgCI6b8m
— DKT (@darleneturner53) May 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/IAmTheBadWolf57/status/1132291780064374789
HELLO FACEBOOK. YOU ARE THE JABRONI OF THE EARTH #DeleteFacebook
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) May 25, 2019