SOCIAL
How Social Platforms are Responding to the #BlackLivesMatter Protests Across the US
With #BlackLivesMatter protests being held in various cities across the US, in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, social media platforms have also been adding their support to the cause.
Here’s what we’ve seen from each of the major companies.
#BlackLivesMatter
First off, Twitter has provided a range of resources and tips to help people get a better understanding of the situation, and the part that they can play in making a change (tap through on this tweet for the full thread).
Racism does not adhere to social distancing.
Amid the already growing fear and uncertainty around the pandemic, this week has again brought attention to something perhaps more pervasive: the long-standing racism and injustices faced by Black and Brown people on a daily basis. ???? pic.twitter.com/8zKPlDnacY
— Twitter Together (@TwitterTogether) May 29, 2020
Twitter has also updated its main profile to reflect its support for the protests.
LinkedIn, meanwhile, has also voiced its support for those calling for change.
YouTube has also added its support, while additionally pledging $1 million in funding to support organizations seeking to address injustice.
We stand in solidarity against racism and violence. When members of our community hurt, we all hurt. We’re pledging $1M in support of efforts to address social injustice.
— YouTube (@YouTube) May 30, 2020
TikTok has posted this message of support.
In the broader tech sphere, Apple CEO Tim Cook has voiced his support, and shared his concerns, in an internal memo to employees. In that same memo, Cook pledged to match donations from employees to organizations seeking to address race-based injustice.
As reported by Bloomberg:
“The Apple executive said that the company would be donating to a number of groups, including the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit focusing on racial injustice. The iPhone maker will also offer a two-for-one match for employee donations in the month of June.”
At this point, Facebook does not appear to have directly addressed the situation, either via Facebook or Instagram.
We’ll update this post with more info on social media and tech sector responses as they come in.