Our Instagram account will be deleted on Friday January 24, 2025.
In protest of the sweeping policy changes that Meta announced on January 7, 2025, allowing for the widespread use of hate speech against queer people, the EAR will permanently move away from this platform.
Mark Zuckerberg claims that this change is intended to promote and protect “free speech.” To the contrary, allowing hate speech to freely proliferate on your platform will only hinder the use of social media apps as the de facto town square.
Furthermore, seeing Zuckerberg join other far-right billionaires in supporting the current President of the United States in addition to these unforeseen changes leads us to believe that Meta cannot be trusted and is setting itself up to act on behalf of this administration.
This is not the time to argue that social media platforms are some sacred, essential structure to our society. These platforms are products and services, like any other, and we must see our use of said platforms as our acquiescence to their policy goals.
The Esoteric Archive of Rochester will never again operate on any Meta-owned service and we implore you to make the same choice. Delete your personal account. Delete your business account. Do not let the oligarchy convince you that you have no other choice.
Effective immediately, the EAR will operate social media on BlueSky. We are looking into other federated options, and any news of that will be shared on BlueSky.
The internet’s essential services are being monopolized by oligarchs farming our data and using the profits to cruelly punish our neighbors, our families, and our friends. We implore you to move your personal and business operations to other platforms and to, once again, explore the connections available to you physically. Consider investing in a postal newsletter. Organize a meet-up at your local coffee shop. Use this opportunity to rebuild yourself and your brand on the solid foundation of your local community.
And, above all else, do not allow yourself to fall into apathy. Stand up for what you believe and in fight for your community.
No one is free until we are all free.
In solidarity,
The Esoteric Archive of Rochester