Greta Thunberg Issues Rallying Cry Against Facebook Over Lies, Death Threats

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg  issued a rallying cry against Facebook , saying she may quit the social media platform due to its failure to curb the abuse that is frequently leveled against her.

The 16-year-old from Sweden wrote in a post on Wednesday that “the constant lies and conspiracy theories” that are spread on Facebook about her and others “of course result in hate, death threats and ultimately violence.” 

“This could easily be stopped if Facebook wanted to,” Thunberg wrote, and the company’s failure leaves her, “like many others, questioning whether I should keep using Facebook.”

“I find the lack of taking responsibility very disturbing,” she added. “But I’m sure that if they are challenged and if enough of us demand change — then change will come.”

Check out the post here:

Thunberg’s comment was in response to a video of Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) challenging Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.

The lawmakers confronted the billionaire tech boss over his company’s failure to adequately police hate speech, its refusal to ban false statements in advertising , and its new digital currency project Libra.

Check out the video here:

Thunberg who this week had a new species of beetle , the Nelloptodes gretae, named after her by scientists at Britain’s Natural History Museum is currently touring North America after sailing to the U.S. for the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September.

On her arrival in New York, she dinged President Donald Trump , who has called climate change “bullshit” and whose administration is pursuing an anti-environment agenda. “My message to him is just to listen to the science, and he obviously doesn’t do that,” Thunberg said at the time.

On Thursday, Thunberg said people have been impersonating her to gain access to political leaders, actors, singers and musicians.

“I apologize to anyone who’s been contacted and maybe even misled by this kind of behavior,” she tweeted. “I hope that those who want to sincerely reach out to me will do so using the recognized channels. The good news in all of this is that this just means we’re having impact. Activism works. And see you in the streets!”