[Date]

The Honorable [ ________ ]

[ Office Address ]
[ United States House of Representatives/United State Senate ]
[ City, State, Zip ]

[ Dear Representative / Senator _____ ]

As a constituent, I urge you to hold social media companies like Facebook accountable,
and to ensure that their user data is kept safe from predatory use. Along with millions of
other Facebook users, I am alarmed by recent revelations that UK-based company
Cambridge Analytica was able to scrape user data off Facebook in order to manipulate
its users through stories and ads that advanced its clients’ unethical and illegal
agendas.

As [ a naturalized US citizen with remaining ties to the Philippines / an American citizen

whose roots can be traced back to the Philippines / an American citizen who’s genuinely
concerned about my Filipino friends in the Philippines ] , I am deeply concerned by how
the current Philippine government has abused that platform to distort reality and spread
fake news reports. Facebook has been instrumental in spreading false information
about the deadly so-called “War on Drugs,” in which an estimated 20,000 Filipinos have
been killed summarily on the streets without due process. Facebook has also been
used to bully and intimidate the press and dissidents, as well as members of the political
opposition.

Despite all these, as of this date the Facebook platform’s community standards have
remained vague, and its self-policing measures meant to dissuade bullying and
“brigading”--in which online groups attempt to overwhelm others by mass commenting
and troll tactics--have failed.

The Philippines is not unique in this regard. The persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar,
the Brexit vote in the UK, the Mexican elections, and the Russian interference in the
2016 U.S. elections all have one thing in common: Facebook had a key role in ensuring
their specific outcomes through the hidden manipulation of user data.

While I understand that Facebook is not a government utility, it cannot be denied that it
has an immense influence on how we get information about our country and the rest of
the world. These past weeks have also revealed that Facebook has been used to
undermine democratic values and institutions. It cannot go on unfettered as it is today.

We need to demand accountability from Facebook. It can no longer be used as an

instrument of falsehood and the promotion of hate. Other forms of mass media have
industry standards that must be followed to maintain the public trust. I believe it’s time to
have similarly robust standards for the technology companies who touch almost every
aspect of our lives, every single day.

While ethics in technology cannot be legislated, the use and abuse of user data should
certainly have legal consequences.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please feel free to contact me if you would
like to discuss this issue further.

Sincerely,

[ Your Name ]
[ Your Title ]
[ Your Address ]
[ Your City, State, Zip ]
[ Your Phone Number ]

Notes:



“Reuters Investigates (Series): Inside the bloody drug crackdown in the Philippines”
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/philippines-duterte/

"When Facebook's Community Standards Sides With Bullies, Where do We Turn?” –

https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/opinion/miguel-syjuco-on-facebook-
a2129-20180131-lfrm2

“How Facebook algorithms impact democracy” –

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/148536-facebook-algorithms-impact-democracy

“Senator: Rodrigo Duterte's drug war has killed 20,000” –

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/senator-rodrigo-duterte-drug-war-
killed-20000-180221134139202.html

“Myanmar: UN blames Facebook for spreading hatred of Rohingya”

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/13/myanmar-un-blames-facebook-
for-spreading-hatred-of-rohingya

“Facebook’s Brexit probe unearths three Russian-bought “immigration” ads”

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/13/facebooks-brexit-probe-unearths-three-russian-
bought-immigration-ads/

“Facebook Is Still the Perfect Propaganda Platform. These Sketchy Mexican Pages
Show Why.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/facebook-is-still-the-perfect-propaganda-
platform-these-sketchy-mexican-pages-show-why/