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Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

nytimes.com

11–20 of 436 posts

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#11

Stamos had been actively engaging with security researchers on Twitter over the past few days about CA with heated discussions: > I have deleted my Tweets on Cambridge Analytica, not because they were factually incorrect but because I should have done a better job weighing in. https://twitter.com/alexstamos/status/975069709140877312 Archive of those deleted tweets: https://twitter.com/aprilaser/status/975078309930311…

Wondering what he thought would be him doing "a better job weighing in"? It seems like his deleted tweets were apparently too honest? i.e. in arguing that there was no data breach, he argued that FB's API and TOS allowed (without oversight) for all app developers to do the kind of data harvesting Cambridge Analytics did? That was well-known by developers, but I guess it's different stating it as an official policy.

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#13

> Mr. Stamos had been a strong advocate inside the company for investigating and disclosing Russian activity on Facebook, often to the consternation of other top executives, including Sheryl Sandberg, the social network’s chief operating officer, according to the current and former employees, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. He was for disclosing this i…

The injustice!.

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#14

Stamos had been actively engaging with security researchers on Twitter over the past few days about CA with heated discussions: > I have deleted my Tweets on Cambridge Analytica, not because they were factually incorrect but because I should have done a better job weighing in. https://twitter.com/alexstamos/status/975069709140877312 Archive of those deleted tweets: https://twitter.com/aprilaser/status/975078309930311…

I can easily see how FB wants to throw CA under the bus and make it look like data theft while the truth FB wants to draw attention away from is that this is the system working as intended.

Or if not technically "intended" then well within the boundaries of what FB is willing to tolerate as long as it's making them money.

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#15
post #9

> Facebook’s chief information security officer, Alex Stamos, will leave the company after internal disagreements over how the social network should deal with its role in spreading disinformation, according to current and former employees briefed on the matter. This opening sentence is frightening, I would rather have learned that FB executive disagree about how to deal with FB "role in NOT spreading disinformation"

Between this story and the other one on the front page about the whistleblower who exposed the leak getting blacklisted, I think it's pretty clear that, of the two options

A) acknowledge the serious underlying problems and work hard to fix them

B) deny everything, retaliate against anyone who dares bring it up to create a chilling effect

Facebook is going all-in on option B.

(EDIT: And if you don't believe me, check out foeey's post about Facebook desperately trying to clear out CA's offices before the authorities can.)

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#17
There's breaking reporting that Facebook just had personnel in the Cambridge Analytica offices before the UK authorities could get there with warrants.

https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/975844154361221121

> BREAKING: Facebook WAS inside Cambridge Analytica's office but have now "stood down" following dramatic intervention by UK Information Commissioner's Office..

https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/975855218490519552...

> To be clear, @facebook was trying to "secure evidence" ahead of the UK authorities. Nice try, @facebook. The UK Information Commissioner's Office cracking whip...British legal investigation MUST take precedence over US multibillion $ company.....

Something VERY wrong is going on at Facebook.

edit, with another account:

https://twitter.com/DamianCollins/status/975856097163702272

> Facebook have confirmed that auditors and legal counsel acting on behalf of the company were in the offices of Cambridge Analytica this evening until they were told to stand down by the Information Commissioner. These investigations need to be undertaken by the proper authorities

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#18

Stamos had been actively engaging with security researchers on Twitter over the past few days about CA with heated discussions: > I have deleted my Tweets on Cambridge Analytica, not because they were factually incorrect but because I should have done a better job weighing in. https://twitter.com/alexstamos/status/975069709140877312 Archive of those deleted tweets: https://twitter.com/aprilaser/status/975078309930311…

I don't understand why he deleted that. It seems a reasonable summary. When I originally saw his tweet about the deletion I thought he may of gone on some crazy rant.

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#19
post #13

> Mr. Stamos had been a strong advocate inside the company for investigating and disclosing Russian activity on Facebook, often to the consternation of other top executives, including Sheryl Sandberg, the social network’s chief operating officer, according to the current and former employees, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. He was for disclosing this i…

The injustice!.

The citation is the article itself.

Re: Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

#20
Zuckerberg's and Sandberg's response to all these events has been the weakest and lamest that I have ever seen from any leadership, regarding controversial issues that involve a company of this size...and that's hard to beat when you have the likes of BP and Volkswagen... Do they really think that just ignoring the issue will make the problem go away?
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