May 2, 2018

We applaud today's announcement that Facebook will hire respected civil rights experts to independently audit the impact of its platform on marginalized communities. Since last year, MPAC has worked closely with Facebook's senior policy team to address the prevalence of hate groups and foreign actors using the platform to target communities like ours. An independent civil rights audit is an important first step to assessing and confronting the flow of hate.

We also expresses concerns over the appointment of former Senator John Kyl to evaluate perceived anti-conservative bias on the platform. While we do not oppose such an evaluation generally, the specific inclusion of Senator Kyl is troubling, considering his own documented record of promoting hate speech, including support for far-right Islamophobes Geert Wilders and John Guandolo as well as deriding congressional hearings on American Muslim civil rights as an exercise "in political correctness."

Below is a glimpse of Kyl's anti-Muslim record:

• GOP Senator Turns the Tables at Muslim Rights Hearing 
• Sen. Kyl Endorses Islamophobic Film 
• Kyl to Host Controversial Anti-Islamic Dutch Politician 
• Jon Kyl: Promoting 'Clash of Civilizations' 
• Sen. Kyl Presents John Guandolo with Defender of the Homeland Award

We look forward to continuing our engagement with Facebook and other social media platforms to ensure that our community's own voices and authentic narratives are amplified more clearly than ever.