A Free Press Matters

3 pledges made

Objectives

Protect Free Press

Target

X Corp (Twitter/X)

X has a large consumer user base that pays for X Premium subscriptions and uses the free platform daily. Advertisers and consumers can withdraw. The platform's direct attacks on individual journalists and systematic dismantling of press safety infrastructure make the harm narrative concrete. High public awareness and ongoing media coverage strengthen the campaign case.

Better alternatives

Mastodon (open-source, decentralized, community-governed social network) Bluesky (decentralized protocol, user-controlled moderation, no billionaire owner) Threads by Meta (large user base, Instagram integration — with caveats) Post.News (news-focused, journalist-friendly, pro-press-freedom founding mission) Flipboard (curated news aggregator, supports open social standards) LinkedIn (professional network, Microsoft-owned, stronger content moderation policies) Substack (writer/journalist-owned publishing, direct reader relationships, free press focus) Spoutible (founded explicitly around safety and democratic values) Counter.Social (ad-free, bot-free, U.S.-focused, blocks known disinformation sources) Local and independent journalism outlets (direct subscriptions support free press at the source)

Ways to take a stand

easy

I pledge to pause using x for one month

Reducing your daily active usage lowers X's engagement metrics, which directly impacts its ability to charge advertisers premium rates. Even a temporary pause signals to the platform that users have alternatives.

easy 1 pledged

I pledge to delete the x app from my phone

Removing the app reduces your passive engagement and ad impressions, cutting into X's core advertising revenue. App uninstalls are tracked by advertisers and can influence brand safety decisions.

medium

I pledge to cancel my x premium (formerly twitter blue) subscription

X Premium is one of X Corp's direct-to-consumer revenue streams; cancelling removes recurring subscription income and reduces the company's reported paying user count. Navigate to Settings > Subscriptions to cancel.

medium

I pledge to cancel my x premium+ or verified organization subscription

Higher-tier X subscriptions represent premium recurring revenue; cancelling these plans has an outsized financial impact compared to basic tiers and reduces X's ability to demonstrate subscription growth to investors.

medium 1 pledged

I pledge to switch my primary social media activity to an alternative platform

Moving your regular posting and engagement to a platform like Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads transfers your attention and ad-revenue-generating activity away from X. Sustained migration by users weakens X's advertiser value proposition.

hard

I pledge to deactivate my x account entirely

Permanently deactivating your account removes you from X's user base and monthly active user count, a key metric used to attract advertisers and justify valuation. This is the most impactful individual action available to a consumer.

Target

Meta Platforms (Facebook/Instagram)

Meta has direct consumer-facing products (Facebook, Instagram) used daily by hundreds of millions of Americans. Consumers can delete accounts, reduce usage, or switch to alternatives. The broken-commitment narrative is strong: Meta previously invested heavily in journalism partnerships and fact-checking, then reversed course publicly. High public awareness and media coverage make this a compelling campaign target.

Better alternatives

LinkedIn (Microsoft-owned, stronger professional focus, less misinformation history) Mastodon (decentralized, open-source, community-moderated social network) Bluesky (decentralized protocol, user-controlled feeds, no algorithmic amplification of health misinformation) Nextdoor (hyperlocal focus, community-oriented, less global misinformation spread) Pinterest (visual platform, has implemented health misinformation policies more proactively) Signal (private messaging alternative to WhatsApp/Messenger) Tumblr (independent platform, smaller scale, community-driven moderation) Local community boards and neighborhood apps (Patch, local Facebook Groups replaced by Nextdoor) Substack (direct creator-to-audience newsletters, no algorithmic health content distortion) MeWe (privacy-focused, no ads, no algorithmic news feed manipulation)

Ways to take a stand

easy

I pledge to pause facebook or instagram usage for one month

Meta's ad revenue depends on your time and attention — reducing your usage directly lowers the data and engagement metrics they sell to advertisers. Even a temporary pause signals disengagement to their platform algorithms.

easy 1 pledged

I pledge to turn off personalized ads in my meta account settings

Opting out of ad personalization reduces the value Meta can charge advertisers for your profile, directly cutting into their core revenue model. This takes only a few minutes in your account's privacy settings.

medium

I pledge to delete the facebook or instagram app from my phone

Removing the app reduces your mobile data contribution to Meta's advertising engine and lowers daily active user counts, a key metric Meta reports to investors. Mobile ad revenue represents the vast majority of Meta's income.

medium

I pledge to cancel my meta verified subscription

Meta Verified is a paid subscription tier on Facebook and Instagram — cancelling it directly removes recurring revenue from Meta's growing subscription business. This is one of Meta's few direct consumer-to-company payment streams.

medium

I pledge to switch my messaging from whatsapp to an alternative app

WhatsApp is owned by Meta and contributes user data and engagement to their ecosystem — switching to alternatives like Signal or Telegram reduces Meta's messaging network dominance. With over 2 billion WhatsApp users, mass migration would materially threaten Meta's data collection infrastructure.

hard

I pledge to permanently delete my facebook and instagram accounts

Closing your accounts removes you entirely from Meta's advertising audience, eliminating any revenue Meta can generate from your data and attention. This is the most direct and irreversible economic action an individual can take against Meta's core business model.

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