Started
July 30, 2024
Why this petition matters

Started by Minority Cannabis Business Association MCBA

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg
We, the undersigned, are writing to seek clarity and immediate action on Meta’s shadow ban practices. Every day, small businesses strive to grow their reach and visibility, and the practice of banning legitimate business accounts is unjust. We represent a coalition of small business owners, consumers, and advocates from various industries, including the rapidly growing cannabis sector, which continues to face significant challenges due to Meta’s policies.

Meta, the largest social media and tech conglomerate, enforces discriminatory advertising policies that negatively impact a wide range of businesses. These policies disproportionately affect women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses, limiting their ability to reach potential customers and stifling their growth and visibility.

Meta’s outdated and misaligned policies result in:

• The shutdown of organic accounts for legitimate businesses;
  Severe restrictions or complete halts on advertising for these businesses;
• Detrimental consequences for small businesses, for whom social media is a vital tool for growth, visibility, marketing, and customer engagement;
• Limited access to important information and resources for consumers and professionals in various industries.

For example, the prohibition on advertising and organic content that educates consumers about THC-containing products remains a significant barrier for state-legal enterprises. This limitation impacts health outcomes and economic opportunities for millions of Americans. However, the issue extends beyond cannabis, affecting numerous other small businesses that rely on social media for their livelihood.

Despite progress in various industries and the widespread use of Meta’s platforms, the company maintains anti-business policies that hinder progress and equity across the United States.

We urge Meta to adjust its advertising policies to support small, minority, and women-led businesses across all industries. We recommend implementing verification processes to allow only legitimate businesses to advertise and fostering an open dialogue with stakeholders from diverse sectors to gain insights into their unique needs and perspectives.

The time is now to end these discriminatory policies and modernize Meta’s guidelines to align with the evolving business landscape across the United States. We call on Meta to meet with our coalition to engage in constructive dialogue and resolve these critical issues.

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