Just a week ago Mark Zuckerberg, who controls the social media sludge and sewage operation known as Facebook, held a call with advertisers where, according to The New York Times  he struck a “defiant tone” as “he discussed the importance of freedom of speech and stressed his company would not bow to pressure on its revenue.”

This week Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives are scrambling to contain the damage from a growing ad boycott—the Stop Hate For Profit Boycott–to protest its policies (or lack of them) on hate speech and misinformation.

So far, more than 300 advertisers have joined.  In reviewing the list, I find it disappointing that precious few nonprofits are present.  Among the notable exceptions of nonprofits taking a stand are AIDS Action, American Jewish World Service, NRDC and the NRDC Action Fund, the NAACP, Jewish Board, Tulane School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Earl Bakken Center,  University of California Press, University of Phoenix, University of Toronto, University of Washington Law School.

Even, Color of Change, a principal backer of the campaign, has stopped short of “pausing” their own advertising.   (They explain why here, indicating “we have been forced to rely on paid ads because Facebook has gone out of their way to limit our ability to organically reach audiences, even to reach Color Of Change members.” They also offer some alternative action steps short of cutting off ad spending.)

[The folks at M+R explain the nuances and complexity of nonprofits pausing Facebook advertising here.  If you’re thinking about either continuing or stopping check out their post here.  ]

As a donor to Color of Change I sure wish they’d simply cut off Facebook. Although I understand their reasoning /rationalization I also fear that hundreds of other nonprofits equally hooked on the Facebook addiction are approaching this “boycott” the same way.

While Facebook, in its drive to “move fast and break things”, has succeeded in spawning a major breeding ground for the putrid, we can’t overlook their accomplices– the advertisers.  For years their ad spend of billions has funded this fetid feast of misinformation and hate.

Although they represent only a teensy, tiny drop in Facebook’s revenue stream the dollars of thousands of nonprofits have added to the flow; while the billions of individual Facebook subscribers innocently and willingly serve as Facebook magnets for ad dollars.

Of course, we’re not at the edge of democracy’s precipice only because of Facebook.  There are plenty of other culprits –some as dangerous, some not—and they need to be called out and dealt with as best each of us can.

My point, as Americans mark Independence Day on July 4th, and democracy fights for its life around the globe is to simply warn this no time for flag-waving parades, fireworks and jingoistic pieties.  Equally, this is no time for partial measures. Not a time to stick with the status quo believing it’s best that nonprofits not rock the boat or take any chances by altering their practices.

The perils facing democracy are real and growing.  Each of us must do our part to stand up, speak out and take whatever steps we can to halt the flow of hate and misinformation. We must act in as uncompromising a way as possible. If we don’t, each of us will own the end result. But by then it will be too late.

Roger