Thread by @JuddLegum

1. Facebook is taking millions of dollars from the Trump campaign to spread false and misleading advertisements across its platform

But don't worry, Facebook is cracking down on the real problem: this tiny Alaskan public radio station @KTOOpubmedia

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

@KTOOpubmedia 2. What did KTOO do? It posted an article to its Facebook page that explained a complex series of local ballot initiatives that would provide funding for upgrades of local arts facilities

Facebook deemed this "clickbait" and sent KTOO a warning

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

@KTOOpubmedia 3. David Purdy, who works in KTOO's 9-person newsroom, thought this was a mistake. So he clicked a link to appeal Facebook's decision

In a few days, the ruling came back

KTOO lost the appeal & now the entire page would get reduced distribution for 2 wks

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

4. "We don't have anyone at Facebook we can email or call because we are too small," Purdy told me in an interview.

So I emailed Facebook and asked what was going on.

The company told me they are looking into it.

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

5. What's really striking here is the power differential. The Trump campaign is spending over $1 million/week on Facebook ads. KTOO's entire annual budget is $1 million

And yet Facebook is applying more scrutiny to KTOO and it's 11K person Facebook page

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

6. Facebook is a $500 billion company that has a massive impact on local operators with little power

That's why I'm working to hold Facebook accountable

If you value this work, please subscribe to my newsletter.

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7. Facebook insists that it is a neutral arbiter that is not making decisions about what content is acceptable

But it is

It has decided that Trump's false political ads should be privileged, while KTOO's accurate explanations of local ballot initiatives should be punished

8. The fact that the KTOO decision, at least in part, was made by an algorithm and not a human doesn't make it any less of a decision

A human created the algorithm and a human decided how it should be applied and how the appeals process should work

popular.info/p/the-tiny-ala…

UPDATE: Facebook has formally reversed its decision, will no longer punish KTOO for “clickbait” ktoo.org/2019/10/10/why…