TOWN 0F GREECE

One Vince Tofany Boulevard Greece, NY 14612
Tel: (585) 225-2000 0 Fax (585) 723-2459


 

William D. Reilich
Supervisor

June 27, 2018

Senator John Thume
United States Senate 
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Thume,

I am the Town Supervisor of the Town of Greece, a town of approximately 96,000
people, located in Monroe County, New York. Recently, I had a very negative experience with
Facebook. 1 am the administrator for my government Facebook Page, where I share happenings
and information relevant to residents of the Town of Greece. I use it as a community information
page and never share or post anything politically-related. The name of my page is Bill Reilich
Greece Town Supervisor and the category chosen is ?Government Official?.

O?entimes, I will create community events on my Facebook Page to invite residents to
enjoy family-friendly activities in the Town of Greece. As I?m sure you?re aware, Facebook
offers the option to ?boost? posts and events to reach more people. On June 261?, 2018, I decided
to boost 3 community events I created: the Town of Greece Old Fashioned of July event, a 4?h
of July Freedom Run 5k, and a 4?11 of July Super Hero Sprint for kids. NONE of these events are
political in anyway, yet all 3 were denied the boost. I reached out to acebook for personal
inquiry and received the response that ?according to our barometers, the events are political in
nature and we will not boost them".

Later that same day, I came across a post sponsored by Facebook, which read: ?Are you
ready to vote? The New York?s 25?h Congressional District Democratic Primary Election is
today?. If any Facebook sponsored post is political in nature, it is this one. The hypocritical
censorship Facebook is conducting is inexcusable. The events I am attempting to boost are
purely community in nature. The pictures listed on the events include ?reworks, a cartoon
picture of runners, and a child wearing a super hero mask. The content simply lists the date, time,
and activities taking place none of which are political in nature in any way.

I have boosted hundreds of posts and events in the past without ever having an issue. So
I?m sure you can understand my confusion and frustration when my request was denied. Not to
mention that Facebook is losing an opportunity for revenue, as the Facebook boosts I was
interested in would have equaled $90.00 altogether. I appealed the denial but was told that we
would have to go through a process and submit additional personal information that
would forever be in Facebook?s database. After the new stories recently on how Facebook has
been sharing users? personal information, you can understand why I was hesitant to go through
this process. Instead, I decided to try boosting one of the events on the Town of Greece
Facebook Page. I submitted the exact same information and the boost was immediately
approved. This experience leads me to believe that Facebook is targeting elected government
of?cials. This is especially concerning to me personally because my Facebook Page has become
a widely-used resource for residents in the Town of Greece. For example, during the windstorm
of 2017, residents were constantly visiting my Facebook Page for updates and to ask questions.
Additionally, during the flooding events of 201 7, my Facebook Page was our greatest resource in
getting news out quickly to residents regarding recent developments and warning about avoiding
certain ?ooded areas. These are just two examples of how I use my Facebook Page. It is purely
used in a way to keep residents informed on events and happening in the Town of Greece.

I have been keeping up with news stories regarding Facebook, Inc. and Mark Zuckerberg
and applaud your efforts in looking into their misuse and bringing that information to the surface.
The fact that Facebook has provided access to users' personal information without explicit
consent is appalling. My experience with acebook is just another example of Facebook taking
too many liberties, micromanaging, and trying to control (selectively) its users and the content of
their posts.

Know that I support you as you continue investigating the misuse that is apparently
prevalent by Facebook, Inc. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contract my
office at (585) 723-231 I.

Sincerely,

wild:

William D. Reilich
Supervisor
Town of Greece