Fitness Company CrossFit recently deleted its Facebook and Instagram account and detailed the reasons why it is doing so. It posted a bulleted list of the grievance it had with the social media giant.
Why did CrossFit leave Facebook?
The fitness company had concerns about data and privacy. This happened after a private Facebook diet group was suspended. The company even went on to call Facebook a company of “utopian socialists.” Interestingly, the fitness company’s sudden ouster from Facebook was first noticed by Armen Hammer, the star of the “The Social Network”- a movie based on Facebook’s origins. He posted a screenshot of the company’s defunct account on his Instagram. He even asked CrossFit if everything was okay.
A UK-based CrossFit athlete confirmed that the company had actually deleted his accounts users were not experiencing a glitch. The company decided to reveal its explanation on Thursday. The company went on to call the social media giant home to the “unholy alliance of academia, government, and multinational food, beverage, and pharmaceutical companies” that has led to a “tsunami of chronic disease.”
CrossFit went on to suggest they are serving as a vital hub for their efforts to promote justice, truth, and a robust exercise regime. Apparently, the company didn’t take the temporary suspension of low-carb diet private group Banting 7 Day Meal Plans lightly. The group, located in South Africa, had over 1.6 million members. Though CrossFit has no formal relationship with the group (as noted by a company spokesperson), they were informed of the suspension by the group owner.
CrossFit leadership is unhappy with Facebook
Despite no official relationship, several of CrossFit’s leaders have personal connections with the South African community. This includes Professor Tim Noakes, a South African low-carb diet guru who is featured by CrossFit on their website very frequently and prominently. Noakes became a part of a major Twitter controversy when he advised the mother to put her baby on a high-fat, low-carb diet. He faced trial before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) a year later, but the case was ultimately decided in his favor.
The Banting 7 Day Meal Plans group has been reinstated, but CrossFit believes that the company has gone too far. A company spokesperson even said that the suspension shows the precarious nature of the company’s moderation guidelines. The pages can get removed without an explanation. The fitness and regime brand has highlighted eight points of contention, including spreading misinformation, frequent breaches, surveillance programs, seller user data, lack of security, and protection of intellectual property amongst others. Facebook declined to comment in this case.
