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Meta's deadline looms

Meta's deadline looms


Meta's deadline looms

The company formerly known as Facebook has been given until 5:00 p.m. PST to respond to a letter on behalf of Chino Valley Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw.

As AFN has reported, Shaw is an advocate for parental rights and has pushed for schools in her district to notify a parent or guardian if/when their child says he or she is the opposite sex.

Recently, members of the public who searched for Shaw's name on the Meta-owned platforms Instagram and Facebook received a message that stated, "We think that your search might be associated with child sexual abuse" and warned that "searching for such material" can lead to imprisonment and other severe punishments.

Dougherty, Buck (LJC) Dougherty

"This was obviously an egregiously false statement," says Buck Dougherty, senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center, "and so we acted accordingly with the letter" sent directly to Meta's chief legal officer.

He says seeing a major company like Meta publish a false statement like this would distress anyone, and Shaw was "obviously distraught."

"Certainly, a false allegation of child sexual abuse and associating and linking someone with that horrible crime is … additionally more troubling and upsetting," Dougherty adds.

Liberty Justice Center hopes to receive some professional response by this evening's deadline, but if Meta fails to respond, then the law firm will communicate internally and discuss strategy.

AFN is seeking comment from Meta.

Meanwhile, Liberty Justice Center attorney Emily Rae is representing Chino Valley Unified School District in a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-California), who wants to block the district's parental notification policy.