Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 79 posts

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#31

Post by rblion »

netsharc wrote: post #5

Well, at least this will hasten their death. Hopefully people are leaving FB because of their toxic "political discussions" (more like insult-flinging), and with this crap, they'll stay away even more from it, because every time they log in, they'll see Wendy is telling them to support her cause of vegan lipsticks, or similar.

Yup. One more nail in the coffin.

They are trying to be everything to everyone. And in the process alienating the people who make social media interesting...

The influencers and sponsored content was the beginning of the end. This is the next step, along with manipulation of media and democracy.

Facebook is the epitome of dystopian dysfunction.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#33

Post by fwn »

jimmytidey wrote: post #21

This does seem like something of a hostage to fortune, I can't imagine how they intend to moderate it. Obviously people are going to poll their echo-chamber in support of toxic ideas. Even more alarming for Facebook, what if their polls come to be seen as having legitimate democratic force - what Government is going to be comfortable with that? I suspect a dogmatic belief in the goodness of Facebook triumphed over re…

People are going to poll their connections in support of all kinds of ideas.

Some of those ideas will be perceived as toxic by some while some others will be perceived as toxic by others.

I think that it's a strange idea to argue against collaboration with the argument that everyone can do it. As if there were something immoral in providing unmoderated collaboration.

I'm sharing your second criticism though. The feature is probably designed to gain legitimacy by being the petition platform people actually use. Would be very unwise for a bueraucracy to allow anything like that provided by a private company.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#34

Post by Ajedi32 »

thecatspaw wrote: post #6

Interesting approach from facebook, though its has its issues. Its nice that they make it easier to get involved in local issues, for example adding bins to a park. However, if you do not like this, you cannot voice your concerns in the comment section of that petition, that is restricted to supporters of the petition. So you have to create your own "Please dont put bins into the XY park"

Yeah, that's a problem with petitions in general; they're really only useful for demonstrating _some_ minimum level of support or public interest in a particular issue.

They can't be used to gauge public opinion on anything remotely controversial, both because they're heavily influenced by selection bias and because it's much harder to express opposition to a petition than it is to express support.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#35

Post by philipodonnell »

> Community Actions could unite neighbors to request change from their local and national elected officials and government agencies. But it could also provide vocal interest groups a bully pulpit from which to pressure politicians and bureaucrats with their fringe agendas.

Or, hot take here, Facebook really doesn't care too much what the petitions are about, but is mostly interested in gathering more data on its users' political beliefs so they can allow domestic and foreign campaign spending groups to better target advertisements meant to change or reinforce those beliefs (or suppress civic participation of those with such beliefs) and increase FB's total share of campaign-related ad spend.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#36

Post by atomwaffel »

SiempreViernes wrote: post #30
renholder wrote: post #10

What happens when, say, Iran wants and - legally - requests the identities of everyone that supports the "Democracy in Iran" group?

I don't think facebook is very used in Iran, at least it was blocked in 2015. The interesting question is what happens when Turkey asks for the members of a "justice for unfairly sacked teachers" petition, or Saudi Arabia asking for the supporters of the local "End discrimination of Shia" petition.

Yes, Facebook is blocked in Iran, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not being used. Just about everyone I met in Iran was on several supposedly blocked social media platforms, mostly through dodgy VPNs. Apple isn’t allowed to sell phones in Iran either, but I’ve never seen so many second-hand iPhones.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#37

Post by mogadsheu »

The general sentiment of the thread is pretty negative. I’d offer the contrary and say that this (provided that it’s moderated with some integrity) feature is one of the great potentially empowering uses of the platform. Bringing people together and connecting them to other likeminded individuals who would otherwise be strangers, I love that.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#39

Post by ardy42 »

torben-friis wrote: post #2

Just what we need from a platform known for manipulation of users: For them to enter the field of politics.

> Just what we need from a platform known for manipulation of users: For them to enter the field of politics.

From Facebook's perspective, the solution to every problem is more Facebook.

Re: Facebook launches petition feature, its next battlefield

#40

Post by koboll »

I've given up on the idea that political engagement on social media can make society better. It seems to be a one-way ratchet toward political extremism, because it encourages people to immerse themselves in communities that respond with adulation whenever someone sinks deeper into their ideological wing and respond with cold silence whenever someone hesitates or questions the wing's narrative.

In case this isn't already obvious, I don't think it's a coincidence that we are in the midst of a global crisis of populist uprisings, most of which leave their countries worse off than they were before.

This is not only going to have the direct effect of intensifying the above, it's going to be mined for data used to crank up political ad targeting to partisans on Facebook. It should be fought, violently. It is poison enacting the slow death of democracy.

A good form of effective action would be to create and popularize to the top of the list a petition like 'Dismantle Facebook' or 'Fire Mark Zuckerberg'.

Post reply on HN