Statement about getting off Meta & resisting fascism

After careful consideration and in light of recent developments, Revolve Cowichan has made the decision to end engagement on Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Meta's recent announcement to remove fact-checkers while simultaneously amplifying political content represents a dangerous shift in the already toxic world of social media. This move clearly serves the interests of corporate power and right-wing/fascism that dominate mainstream narratives. Though fact-checkers on Meta were never going to save us against hate, conspiracism and disinformation, this move by Zuckerberg and Meta represents a larger and more concerning issue. Meta has never cared about free speech.

We cannot and will not be complicit in a system that prioritizes engagement and profit over truth and social justice. As a collective and a social justice movement, we can no longer support the social media tyrants who have removed news access from Canada, who allow white supremacy and xenophobia to run rampant, all while censoring topics like Palestine and banning left-wing accounts.

The timing of this decision is particularly disturbing given Donald Trump's explicit threats against the free press, including his intentions to exert control over social media platforms. These authoritarian tendencies, coupled with Meta's willingness to become a megaphone for harmful ideologies, signal a troubling future for all of us. This is all unfolding at the same time as the resignation of PM Trudeau, the rise of the New Conservative movement, and the bizarre threats by Trump to take over Canada.

Now is the time to get active in real life, to connect with the community, and get on secure apps like Signal. We will be moving communications to Bluesky, which is not perfect, but for now will serve as our social media channel.

We encourage others to join us in this transition if they are able and if it won’t prohibit important community organizing. We acknowledge that leaving these platforms isn't feasible for everyone. We encourage those who stay to be diligent with fact checking and stay alert to political manipulation tactics.

Disrupt, refuse, resist. ✊

Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/revolvecowichan.bsky.social 

In solidarity,

Revolve