Melanoma Institute Australia Facebook Page
19 February 2021
URGENT MEDIA STATEMENT - PATIENT HEALTH AT RISK DUE TO FACEBOOK AMBUSH
The decision by Facebook to remove all content from Melanoma Institute Australia’s Facebook page is putting the health and safety of melanoma patients across the country at risk.
Despite being a not-for-profit medical research institute, and not a media or news outlet, our Facebook page with more than 15,000 followers was disabled by Facebook yesterday morning.
Facebook has to date failed to reinstate the page, despite our repeated applications on the grounds we are a not-for-profit medical research institute, and clearly not a news media outlet.
The disabling of our Facebook page comes at a critical time, given we are currently running a summer sun safety awareness program, and are about to launch our annual major fundraising campaign Melanoma March.
At risk are people’s health, and our capacity to fund critical research programs and clinical trials which rely on Melanoma March funding.
Our Melanoma March campaign was cancelled last year due to COVID, leaving us with a $800,000 shortfall in donations. This year, to safeguard against the volatility around ongoing COVID lockdowns, we are about to launch an interactive digital version of the campaign. Ironically, now the main digital platform to drive the campaign has been ripped out from under us without any notice. The cumulative impact of two disrupted campaigns will mean a shortfall of $1.3 million for critical research.
Melanoma patients and their families across the country are innocent victims in this global tech battle. We are in the business of saving lives - not the news business. If our Facebook page is not reinstated urgently, our capacity to educate the community and fund lifesaving research will be at risk. Ultimately, this could cost lives.
We may be an insignificant voice in the theatre being played out here for the world to see. But our work is not insignificant. We are world leaders in the fight against melanoma, and this action has effectively turned off our power to make a real difference.
Matthew Browne
CEO, Melanoma Institute Australia
Media Contact: Jennifer Durante | 0412 798 990 | jennifer.durante@melanoma.org.au
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