On June 13th I hosted a special episode on my podcast The People are Blunt on the issue of “Shadow Banning”. If you missed it click here! But just to level set, shadow banning is the deleting of accounts, blocking of posts, siphoning of followers by Meta platforms. These things are done without notice, ability to proactively prevent or often resolve without severe damage.
Prior to the discussion, which was so rich, I understood the economic impact. I understood the unfair, arbitrary nature of decisions around which accounts are targeted. I understood how dire this could be for small businesses that may not have resources to deploy in advocating for harm repair.
What I had not considered were the silent harms. The impacts that lay beneath the surface. The things that will have long term implications. Here we are on the brink of a new horizon. The regulated cannabis industry in its infancy is gaining ground to normalcy. An industry built off of the backs and targeting of Black, LatinX and Indigenous communities. The targeting of free minded people from the Emerald Triangle.
And here we are as people fighting for a piece of this pie. Fighting for equity, inclusion, ownership. This fight is being publicized and televised and Meta platforms are a host. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok…they hold our truths. When Regent Wanda James shared that her account was deleted that had over 20,000 followers I shook my head. How do you get those people back? Those who clicked follow for reasons that we can’t get back or recreate. She was the first. Colorado’s regulated space at the time was novel. People traveled from all over to consume or just visit a dispensary. When Brandon Wyatt, longtime MCBA board member, spoke of the association losing 40,000 followers I was floored. Advocacy, are they really hating on advocacy?!
But when they both spoke of the lost memories…pictures and videos from events it did something else to me. It angered me. These accounts are about more than showing and promoting, they hold our history. They are proof that we, Black, LatinX, Indigenous people were here at the start. Proof of IP, our creativity, the sauce that we brought and bring, always. This is a new version of ethnic cleansing! The reality that META, whether intentional or not, is blocking and shutting down accounts held by people of color disproportionately is essentially erasing us from the history of this budding industry. As the kids say if you don’t post it, if it can’t be found online, did it really happen? One day the people who remember will no longer be here to tell the truths. What will be seen?
We closed out that episode issuing a call in before the call out. META let’s figure this out. Stop the cleansing! Stop deleting history! Stop stealing memories! Stop causing harm!
And this is why, shameless plug, the Cannabis Impact Fund, is so necessary. Because maybe the powers to be don’t understand all that they are doing. Maybe they don’t understand the power they hold and apply so arbitrarily. This is why having diversity at decision making tables is so important. This is why being tapped in, aware of history and having cultural humility is necessary. CIF has tools for your toolbox to help companies do good. I’d love to help!
