“But You’re Still on Facebook and TikTok?”

Yes. And we understand why that looks contradictory. Let us explain.

EFF exists to protect people’s digital rights. Not just the people who already value our work, have opted out of surveillance, or have already migrated to the fediverse. The people who need us most are often the ones most embedded in the walled gardens of the mainstream platforms and subjected to their corporate surveillance.

Young people, people of color, queer folks, activists, and organizers use Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook every day. These platforms host mutual aid networks and serve as hubs for political organizing, cultural expression, and community care. Just deleting the apps isn’t always a realistic or accessible option, and neither is pushing every user to the fediverse when there are circumstances like:

• You own a small business that depends on Instagram for customers.
• Your abortion fund uses TikTok to spread crucial information.
• You’re isolated and rely on online spaces to connect with your community.

Our presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok is not an endorsement. We’ve spent years exposing how these platforms suppress marginalized voices, enable invasive behavioral advertising, and flag posts about abortion as dangerous. We’ve also taken action in court, in legislatures, and through direct engagement with their staff to push them to change poor policies and practices.

We stay because the people on those platforms deserve access to information, too. We stay because some of our most-read posts are the ones criticizing the very platform we’re posting on. We stay because the fewer steps between you and the resources you need to protect yourself, the better.

I want things to be different. How can we make other people understand the gravity of the situation that using these products bring more harm than good, and they should get off of that platform? (By people, I don’t mean EFF or activists, I mean general population.)

And so should everyone