Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#21

Post by m0zg » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

malloreon wrote: post #7

iscrewyou wrote: post #2

Someone tell these yahoos that optics is a thing. I expect the next statement to be about transparency and connecting communities. Just like the last one. And the one before.

for facebook optics is not a thing. they know they have a stranglehold on people addicted to their products, and advertisers who pay through the nose to sell things to those addicts. Honestly, why bother with optics? No one's going to like the company ever again except their employees, but no business or politician or organization is going to not take facebook's call.

^ this HN reader has it right. And we'll see the extent of that truth tomorrow when FB announces their earnings. Most of the problems in the world can be solved with robust revenue growth. It's only when you're on the decline that "optics" begin to matter, and FB is most certainly not in decline, at least outside the HN bubble.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#22

Post by jakelazaroff » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

hsnewman wrote: post #6

I for one don't let Facebook use me. This makes little difference to me.

"First they came for the Facebook users, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Facebook user."

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#23

Post by silversconfused » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

criddell wrote: post #13

hsnewman wrote: post #6

I for one don't let Facebook use me. This makes little difference to me.

Facebook probably has a lot of data on you regardless. Are you in any friends' address book? Do you use a loyalty card at the grocery store? Ever walk in a mall? Own a car? Pay property tax? Have a mailing address?

Futility is a terrible reason to stop fighting.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#24

Post by xfitm3 » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:47 PM UTC

The taller you are the harder you fall. Lets hope this merc gets cockblocked before destroying the last bit of our online liberties.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#25

Post by qwertox » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:48 PM UTC

criddell wrote: post #13

hsnewman wrote: post #6

I for one don't let Facebook use me. This makes little difference to me.

Facebook probably has a lot of data on you regardless. Are you in any friends' address book? Do you use a loyalty card at the grocery store? Ever walk in a mall? Own a car? Pay property tax? Have a mailing address?

Also, all those mobile ad companies which sell their data to investors will be guaranteed to have Facebook as a client, possibly also by proxy so that they don't appear on their client list.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#26

Post by m0zg » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:48 PM UTC

FartyMcFarter wrote: post #10

malloreon wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for facebook optics is not a thing. they know they have a stranglehold on people addicted to their products, and advertisers who pay through the nose to sell things to those addicts. Honestly, why bother with optics? No one's going to like the company ever again except their employees, but no business or politician or organization is going to not take facebook's call.

Why bother with optics? Well, for one thing, presumably they still need to recruit people once in a while (including people with lots and lots of options).

They solve this problem with large wads of cash and FB stock. A couple of my friends there make close to a million dollars a year each in total comp just being middle managers. FB has no problem whatsoever with recruiting or retention of top talent.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#27

Post by _bxg1 » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:49 PM UTC

You'd think if nothing else their PR department would've caught this. These headlines just write themselves.

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#28

Post by javagram » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:50 PM UTC

Duplicate of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19725489 which was discussed yesterday?

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#29

Post by djakjxnanjak » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:51 PM UTC

resters wrote: post #3

Facebook is the defense contractor that is building America's Great Firewall and social credit system, so it makes sense that there is a revolving door with the authoritarian regime.

Why do we need a social credit score when we already have money?

Re: Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel

#30

Post by georgyo » Tue, Apr 23, 2019, 9:52 PM UTC

silversconfused wrote: post #23

criddell wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook probably has a lot of data on you regardless. Are you in any friends' address book? Do you use a loyalty card at the grocery store? Ever walk in a mall? Own a car? Pay property tax? Have a mailing address?

Futility is a terrible reason to stop fighting.

100% but just not using Facebook is not a very effective strategy. And thinking that not using Facebook protects you from Facebook could be dangerous.