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Culture

5 things Facebook can do to reduce hateful content on its platform

5 things Facebook can do to reduce hateful content on its platform

Facebook is in the midst of a subtle reckoning.

As the culture at large experiences deep structural changes, many are left questioning whether the social media giant has earned any place in the current conversation of racial justice, free speech, and the fight against hate groups.

While many at the leadership level of Facebook make a point of being seen as progressive and sympathetic to the movements they profess to support, it can be hard for any of that to ring true when their platform is a haven for white supremacist groups, conspiracy theorists and death threat factories.

Recently Facebook released the results of its independent audit, a report two years in the making that outlines clearly how Facebook has failed on civil rights. The report found that the companies reaction to hate speech, bias, polarization, and diversity was grievously lacking. According to the report, the company has categorically failed to remove a deluge of hate groups and abusers on the platform.



Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, had some blunt words regarding the company, "Ridding the platform of hate and misinformation against Black people only became a priority when there was a PR crisis to endure"

Concerning the report, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that the company "won't make every change they call for," but that Facebook leadership "will put more of their proposals into practice."

As the company scrambles to steer their enormity back into the good graces of a rapidly suspicious public, the question remains - what can Facebook do to be better?

Here are 5 things.

One - Commit to preventing data breaches

Starting with Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based consultancy with sinister ties to the 2016 election, Facebook has a dismal track record of policing bad actors on the platform - this particular one collected and used the data of tens of thousands of Facebook's more than 2 billion users for various nefarious outcomes. This was followed by a breach that affected 50 million people on the site, and after that another breach that compromised the data of 29 million people, including phone numbers, names, email addresses and for many, dates of birth.

Facebook must put in place a more formidable security apparatus instead of simply apologizing when a litany of breaches take place.

Two - Honestly communicate with its biggest critics

From the beginning Facebook has taken a dim view of those who do not share the view that they are the greatest social fabric weaver of the modern world. For many who have taken issue with their countless gaffes and failures, Facebook is woefully lacking in humility and the desire to listen to their members. From enabling ethnic cleansing in Myanmar to allowing Nazis to organize and sell merchandise on their platform, Facebook has systematically demonstrated an utter lack of self awareness.

By bringing together the voices of those calling for changes in their company, and simply listening to their grievances, much could be achieved if only Facebook leadership would lend an ear without being dragged into the process unwillingly for PR.

Three - Listen.

In order to understand the deeper issues inherent in the companies approach to their practices, a good person to listen to is Rashad Robinson. Robinson is the executive director of Color of Change, the country's largest racial-justice organization, and one of the people who organized the high-profile advertising boycott that shook Facebook in July.

As described on a recent podcast, "he was part of a meeting with Facebook executives about the July ad boycott of Facebook, to discuss the demands he and those companies have made to the social-media platform. Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg were on the call, and he was not impressed by Zuckerberg's performance."

He relays how in the meeting, Facebook executives were repeatedly praising themselves saying how "They're so much better. They're working so much harder. They have done things that other folks won't do."

He says, "This is the kind of constant line. At some point, someone in the meeting said, "So, I guess what you're saying is that you're doing everything right and that we're just crazy." They're like, "No, no, that's not what we're saying." I'm like, "Well, what are you saying?"

A corporate culture of viewing outsiders as assailants instead of welcome and constructive voices has hindered the companies growth, and has harmed the level of trust they can be given.

Four - Take a stand.

Corporate cowardice and a strategy of aiming to please all users has paralyzed Facebook and left it in a quagmire of its own vague indecision. By attempting to be utterly impartial, the company has ensured that the platform has become a safe haven for dangerous misinformation, political influence, hateful rhetoric, abuse, death threats, medical malpractice and more.

In order for Facebook to enjoy the privileges of a company welcomed by the culture and accepted by users as trustworthy, it is vital that they cobble together some semblance of a value system.

At this point in the life cycle of the platform, it's almost impossible to see what, if anything, the company believes in other than being an open playing field for false information, conspiracy theories and racist memes.

Facebook must clearly delineate what they do and do not stand for.

Five - Empower new voices.

While Facebook has made great strides in ensuring their new hires are reflective of the changes so desperately needed at the company - it's vital that these are not merely symbolic positions.

Those who have a new vision for how the company can be better must be empowered to implement those plans. Too often a company will ride the praise escalator when hiring a newly created position that promises change, yet relegate that person to a headline in an email to a PR agency.

Facebook must be prepared to utilize their new talent, and be bold when deciding just how much they're willing to change in order to be the company they profess to actually be.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

True

It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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