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Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

wsj.com

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Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#11
post #4

Do we ask or expect the same of the phone or cable companies? Why the agenda to (further) censor Facebook and similar?

My guess is it's because phone or cable companies don't apply comparable measures, at least not that I know of. Targeted content for example.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#15
post #4

Do we ask or expect the same of the phone or cable companies? Why the agenda to (further) censor Facebook and similar?

Phone companies don't set up incentive structures that encourage a certain kind of content. Facebook has an "algorithmic" feed, likes, and "engagement" metrics that rewards certain behaviours and punish others. They are rightly being pilloried when these incentives encourage and promote constant outrage, conspiracies, and completely fact-free fear mongering.

This is a thought-provoking answer, and it shows how Facebook (and others) are straddling the line between publisher and platform.

IMHO, because they do perform curation, both algorithmic and manual, they should be considered publishers.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#17
I've always wondered how such discussions go in company meetings where some product/feature has harmful effect of something/someone but is good for the business of the company.

I cannot believe that everyone is ethicality challenged, only perhaps the people in control. So what goes through that minds of people who don't agree with such decisions. Do they keep quiet, just worry about the payroll, convince themselves that what the management is selling is a good argument for such product/service....

Luckily I've never had to face such a dilemma, but can't be envious of those who have faced and come out of it by losing either their morals or jobs.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#18

Every platform ultimately makes choices in how users engage with it, whether that goal is to drive up engagement, ad revenues or whatever metric is relevant to them. My general read is that Facebook tries to message that they're "neutral" arbiters and passive observers of whatever happens on their platform. But they aren't, certainly not in effect, and possibly in intent either. To preserve existing algorithms is not…

It's pretty laughable for Facebook to claim they're neutral when they performed and published[1] research about how tweaking their algorithm can affect the mood of their users.

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/every...

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#20
post #4

Do we ask or expect the same of the phone or cable companies? Why the agenda to (further) censor Facebook and similar?

If you mean that Facebook should be regulated as a utility, by all means make that argument - I think you’ll find broad support.

As it is, Facebook is constantly making editorial decisions in terms of what content is shown (which posts, in what order, with what presentation). Their own research had found that some of those editorial decisions have externalities in the form of increasing social conflict. Rather than take steps to address it, or even research this question more, they wiped their hands of it.

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