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Actor Dennis Quaid said that Facebook was “throttling advertising and promotion” for his upcoming film Reagan, the biographical drama where Quaid plays President Ronald Reagan.
The movie, which also features Penelope Ann Miller, John Voight, Kevin Sorbo and Leslie-Anne Down, opens in theaters Friday, August 30.
Quaid told Newsweek about the social media giant shutting down promotion of the film, saying:
Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what’s best for us to see and hear; only this time it’s throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan.
Sounding Reaganesque in his challenge, the actor sent an email statement to Newsweek where he asked Facebook and Meta, its parent organization:
Like the old Soviet Union – are we turning into a country of tech oligarchs who control the platform of groupthink to silence the individual or “other” groups?
Quaid added:
Freedom of expression and a free market are what Americans are known for. Reagan said that the freedoms that we take for granted can be lost in a generation. Censorship like this, coupled with our silent assent, is a cautionary indication that we could be in danger of losing those freedoms.
The film’s director of digital marketing, Eric McClellan, sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and CEO of Meta, outlining some of Facebook’s actions to stifle promotion of the film. The letter explained that a post from the movie showed Quaid as Ronald Reagan and had this quote:
Don’t let anyone tell you that America’s best days are behind her – that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives not to believe it now.
“Facebook allowed the post – but refused to let the marketers ‘boost’ it by way of a paid advertisement,” reported Newsweek. McClellan was told the boost was denied because it “mentions politicians or is about sensitive issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation.”
Far be it from Facebook and Meta to try to impact the outcome of an election.
Twice, Facebook suspended the Reagan movie’s account:
Video clips of Quaid discussing the movie on TV and podcasts that were posted to the Reagan movie’s Facebook page caused the social media platform to temporarily suspend the account on at least two occasions. …
In May, the Reagan team posted a clip of Quaid being interviewed by Jordan Peterson, the psychologist and author. … When McClellan attempted to boost the clip, Facebook would not allow him to because it was “about social issues, elections or politics.
Facebook responded to Newsweek:
While there are no restrictions on this page that would prevent the admins from posting, we did identify a handful of ads from this account that were incorrectly rejected. This happened because our automated systems mistakenly determined that content about President Reagan required prior authorization in accordance with our policies for ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics. This was a mistake and the restriction on the ads has been lifted.
Fox News host Trace Gallagher questioned the response, asking, “Why is it these mistakes always, only happen to conservatives? The algorithms only attach to conservative content, and that’s it, Dennis.”
Quaid agreed, saying, “Yeah, and it seems to be automated that way for some reason – nobody’s responsible for that.” He questioned how the ads could be political or affect the outcome of an election, quipping:
The last time I heard, Reagan hasn’t been on the ballot in 40 years. Not only that, he’s not even eligible to run because he served two terms – and we have term limits.
Quaid added, “It was banned, and they haven’t even seen the film. So, it seems like they don’t want other people to see the film either, I guess.”
Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on Facebook to learn about the film or decide if we want to see it. You can get more information about the film, watch the trailer and find show times and tickets at www.reagan.movie.
Related articles and resources:
The Day Freedom Won – 30 Years Since the Berlin Wall Came Down
Focus on the Family’s ‘Ronald Reagan: Man of Faith’ a Smashing Success, Garners Rave Reviews
On Presidents’ Day, Remembering My Visit with Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan’s Best Advice to Presidential Candidates
The Tiny Black Woman Who Changed Ronald Reagan’s View on Abortion
Image credit: Reagan.
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