What If, Just Like That, Facebook Censors You?

If You Don’t Pay for the Product, You are the Product

…and just like that, TikTok was banned in India. Seems crazy that TikTok would be banned in one of the largest nations on the planet. Citing “national security” concerns, TikTok has been censored in India, as well as Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and others. Literally overnight, many in those regions lost their primary digital conduit with no workaround in mind

Ministries must recognize that social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are essentially “rented” property. Rent isn’t necessarily bad because there are important things that we can’t afford to own. However, “renters beware” as there is always a risk of being evicted.

We too often hear the story that a ministry is removed from a digital platform, prevented from buying ads, or has content rejected. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as policy violations, and then sometimes not even divulged. In a flash, our constituencies lose access to our pages, groups, and message. Remember, the Landlord (owner) has that control.

Recently, MII’s Natchi Lazarus discussed practical, protective tips to help in these situations with the keyword – diversify: 

• Diversify into other top channels. Don’t put all your investment into one of these rented platforms. Utilize a variety of social media channels, or have a game plan to be ready to launch elsewhere quickly.

• Diversify into lesser-known, up-and-coming channels. Smaller channels offer an excellent backup ensuring that our outreach won’t be interrupted. We must commit time to research and development to be prepared for the unexpected five minutes from now.

• Diversify into your “own'' real estate. For some social applications, some platforms can be paid for, giving us more control. Even something as small as building an email list gives ministries redundancy and protection in an extreme situation like losing access to social media channels.

Starting “Research & Development” after an unexpected crisis is backward. Be prepared for the change in advance. Don’t run away from rented platforms, but have plans in place anticipating issues.