UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
NOTICE OF EXEMPT SOLICITATION
Submitted Pursuant
to Rule 14a-6(g)
NAME OF REGISTRANT: Meta Platforms,
Inc.
NAME OF PERSONS RELYING ON EXEMPTION: The
Anti-Defamation League & JLens
ADDRESS OF PERSON RELYING ON EXEMPTION:
605 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10158
WRITTEN MATERIALS:
The following written material is attached – Proxy Memorandum, dated May 24, 2024
* *
*
Written materials
are submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-6(g)(1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This is not a solicitation of authority
to vote any proxy. The Anti-Defamation League & JLens are not asking for your proxy card and will
not accept proxy cards if sent. The cost of this filing is being borne entirely by JLens and its affiliates. Submission is not required
of this filer under the terms of the Rule, but is made voluntarily in the interest of public disclosure and consideration of these important
issues.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Anti-Defamation League & JLens are not asking for your proxy card and cannot accept
your proxy card. Please DO NOT send us your proxy card.
(Written
material follows on next page)
PROXY MEMORANDUM
| To: | Shareholders of Meta Platforms, Inc. (the “Company” or “Meta”) |
| From: | The Anti-Defamation League (“ADL”) & JLens (together, “we”) |
| Re: | The case to vote FOR Proposal Eleven (“Report on Child Safety Impacts and Actual Harm Reduction
to Children”) on Meta’s 2024 Proxy Statement |
The ADL and JLens urge shareholders to
vote FOR Proposal Eleven in Meta’s 2024 Proxy Statement. Proposal Eleven requests that, “within one year, the Board of Directors
adopts targets and publishes annually a report (prepared at reasonable expense, excluding proprietary information) that includes quantitative
metrics appropriate to assessing whether Meta has improved its performance globally regarding child safety impacts and actual harm reduction
to children on its platforms.”1
As the world's largest social media company
with billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, we believe Meta has an urgent responsibility to assume a leadership role
in protecting young people online and in combating harmful content. Proposal Eleven would require Meta to transparently address critical
issues linked to its platforms, including hate speech, negative mental health impacts on teens, sexual exploitation of minors, rampant
cyberbullying, and failures to adequately safeguard children's private information.
The
ADL Center for Technology & Society2 (“CTS”)
is a research-driven advocacy center that works to end the proliferation of antisemitism and all forms of hate and harassment online.
CTS partners with industry, civil society, government and targeted communities to expose these harms, hold technology companies accountable,
and fight for just and equitable online spaces.
Online hate and harassment remain persistent
and entrenched problems on social media platforms, according to CTS’ 2023 survey on online hate and harassment in America. 51% of
teens ages 13 to 17 reported experiencing online harassment. Of those teens, more than half experienced that harassment on Facebook, more
than any other platform, and 48% reported experiencing harassment on Instagram. For 47% of teens, online harassment also led to in person
and offline harassment.3
The survey also revealed increased reports
of hate and harassment across nearly all demographic groups compared to 2022, with notably high rates among LGBQ+ (47%), Black/African
American (38%), Muslim (38%), and transgender (76%) respondents. Moreover, Jewish respondents were 80% more likely to worry about religious
harassment while 25% avoided identifying as Jewish online.
1 Meta Platforms, Inc. "2024 Proxy Statement." U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000132680124000034/meta-20240418.htm.
2 https://www.adl.org/research-centers/center-technology-society.
3 Anti-Defamation League. (2023). Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience 2023. https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2023-12/Online-Hate-and-Harassmen-2023_0_0.pdf.
In ADL’s recent report with the Tech
Transparency Project,4 researchers simulated algorithmic recommendations
using various personas. The findings revealed that on Instagram, the most virulent and hateful antisemitic content was pushed to accounts
indicating they were 14 years old. These accounts promoted, among other things, Nazi propaganda, Holocaust denial, and white supremacist
symbols. This underscores the platform’s role in amplifying hate and highlights the need for better policies to protect young users.
In light of the extraordinary levels of hate
online, we believe that the report requested in Proposal Eleven would be a meaningful step forward from Meta’s current practice,
which primarily focuses its reporting of enforcement actions as part of its Community Standards Enforcement Reports. Meta’s current
quarterly reports, including reports on child endangerment, do not provide quantitative metrics that can be used to measure improvement
in Meta’s enforcement, policies or products. Nor do they provide quantitative metrics that measure Meta’s performance globally
regarding child safety impacts and actual harm reduction to children on its platforms.5
This gap in public goal-setting leaves Meta largely unaccountable to shareholders who believe the Company has an obligation to provide
products that are safe for young people. Additionally, disclosing quantitative metrics can enable shareholders to benchmark and to measure
the wellbeing of young people using its products. External researchers could assist Meta in collaboratively developing meaningful metrics
and goals.
In
conclusion, we believe that it is in the best interest of long-term Meta investors that the Company prioritizes the safety and well-being
of its young users. The requested report in Proposal Eleven would provide much-needed transparency and accountability, allowing shareholders
to assess the effectiveness of Meta's efforts to combat online hate, harassment and harm to children. Accordingly, we believe that:
A
vote for Proposal Eleven is a vote in support of transparency and accountability in Meta's child safety efforts.
A vote for Proposal Eleven is a vote in support of empowering parents and guardians
to keep their children safe online.
A
vote for Proposal Eleven is a vote in support of combating online hate and harassment.
For more information, please contact Dani Nurick, JLens Director of Advocacy, at
dani@jlensnetwork.org.
4 Anti-Defamation League. (2023). Profiting from Hate: The Platform’s Ad Placement Problem. https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/profiting-hate-platforms-ad-placement-problem.
5 Anti-Defamation League. (2023). Platform Transparency Reports: Just How Transparent? https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/platform-transparency-reports-just-how-transparent.
About the Anti-Defamation League
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization
in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair
treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive
impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works
to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.
About JLens:
JLens’ mission is to empower investors to align their capital with Jewish values and advocate for Jewish communal priorities in
the corporate arena. Founded in 2012 to give the Jewish community a strategic presence in this influential arena, JLens promotes Jewish
values and interests, including combating antisemitism and Israel delegitimization. More at www.jlensnetwork.org.
THIS IS NOT A PROXY SOLICITATION AND NO PROXY CARDS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Please execute and
return your proxy card according to Meta’s instructions.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2024 to Jun 2024
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2023 to Jun 2024