As a lifelong cinephile who’s witnessed the rise and fall of various cinematic trends and controversies, I must say that the ongoing saga between Dennis Quaid and Facebook over the advertising for his upcoming biopic “Reagan” has piqued my interest.
In the upcoming movie “Reagan”, starring Dennis Quaid, there are indications that he may be accusing Facebook of potential blame if the biopic underperforms at the box office. Quaid alleges that Facebook is hindering the dissemination of ideas by refusing to financially promote an ad for the movie, thereby limiting its visibility and potential impact on viewers who might have been interested in watching it had they seen the advertisement on Facebook. Quaid plays the role of the 40th president in the film, which is set for release on August 30.
As stated in a letter to Newsweek, Quaid alleges that Facebook is intentionally limiting advertising for the movie “Reagan“. He likened the present state of the United States to the old Soviet Union and accused Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the social media platform, for this situation.
“Facebook appears to be restricting the dissemination of ideas, determining what content is suitable for us, not just limiting posts but also ads and promotions for my film on Ronald Reagan. This seems reminiscent of the old Soviet Union, where a few powerful figures controlled information and stifled individual voices or dissenting groups. Could we be evolving into a society dominated by tech moguls who manage the dissemination of ideas to maintain a homogenous narrative?”
“Facebook’s CEO, Zuckerberg, bears the ultimate accountability as his company alleges potential impact on the presidential election. However, Ronald Reagan’s name last appeared on the ballot four decades ago. I propose a question to Facebook: Were similar tactics employed against other contemporary biographical films about recent presidents, such as Lincoln, LBJ, or Southside with You (a movie about President Barack Obama), all of which were released during election years?”
Is Facebook to Blame for Censoring Reagan’s Ad?
The trouble began when Eric McClellan, digital marketing director at Reagan, attempted to increase visibility for a movie by enhancing a Facebook post. The post contained an image of Quaid from the film, accompanied by a quote attributed to the late president, which was taken from a 1982 speech: “America’s best days are not behind her – the American spirit has not been vanquished. We have seen it triumph too often in our lives to doubt it now.”
Based on McClellan’s claim (who presented photographic proof), Facebook declined to amplify the post, arguing that it “refers to politicians or deals with sensitive topics capable of shaping public opinion, voting behavior, and potentially affecting election results or pending legislation.” However, as Quaid highlighted, Reagan is not running for president at this time. Nonetheless, the Facebook algorithms flagged the post due to its language.
Indeed, I stand firm in agreeing that Facebook appears to have censored the advertisement, an action McClellan describes as “egregious.” Just like him, I experienced a similar situation back in May when I tried to promote a post featuring Quaid’s interview with Jordan Peterson. In that post, Quaid expressed admiration for the movie Reagan.
Eventually, Facebook contacted Newsweek to express regret for the error. They admitted there were a few ads from that specific account that were mistakenly disapproved.
“The issue arose due to an error in our automated systems, which incorrectly flagged content related to President Reagan as needing approval in line with our policies regarding ads on Social Issues, Elections, or Politics. This was a misstep, and the restrictions placed on those ads have now been removed.”
Quaid contends that Facebook is increasingly being criticized for suppressing conservative viewpoints in an attempt to sway political elections. According to a report by Media Research Center, Facebook has allegedly interfered with at least 39 elections since 2008, which suggests that the platform’s leadership may lean left and not uphold the free speech principles they profess.
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2024-08-16 21:03