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As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

theguardian.com

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Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#51

Post by rPlayer6554 »

Simple: Facebook will be stopped when people decide to stop using it or reduce their time on the platform. All the information about their privacy abuses are quite public and people still choose to use the product. I am well aware and I use that information to use it in an informed way (limited usage only on desktop, Firefox container, and more). Yes yes, inside the HN bubble it does seem to be popular. But in the normal world it doesn't seem like enough people care to me. Facebook will change once their is a mass movement to pull at their purse strings.

In a free society, people are allowed to surrender some freedom and privacy if they choose. It seems like what Facebook offers is worth the cost to the average person.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#52

Post by barbecue_sauce »

nefitty wrote: post #44
lokar wrote: post #12

I worry that simply breaking up FB could make things worse. Today, with a safe monopoly feedung high profit margins they can afford some mitigations (more reviewers, etc) and to "hold back" a bit on some of the worst/unhealthy engagement tricks. Several more equal competitors would feel pressure to outdo each other. Some other fix is needed (probably in addition to breakup).

I wonder if the government could create a regulatory AI that could be applied to social media companies. As laws and regulations change, the AI would just need to be updated and it would enforce them automatically on the companies.

Maybe not to control content, but to create context. We could call it GW.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#54

Post by dylan604 »

stri8ted wrote: post #46

Assume Facebook no longer exists tomorrow. The same incentives that drive Facebook's behavior, i.e. human consumption patterns, will still exist. And will be exploited by another company. Facebook is merely one instance of a problem deeply rooted in humans. Sure, there is the anti-competitive aspect to it. But wrt to the divisiveness and polarization, the exploitation by political actors, it would not make a differen…

That's an acceptable view point. However, that doesn't mean FB should not be punished into oblivion. They don't get a free pass just because "someone else would have done it if we didn't" is not an acceptable defense.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#55

Post by wpietri »

ryandrake wrote: post #37
Nextgrid wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Facebook wasn't behaving anti-competitively by preventing interoperability this might work, but as of right now an individual may not always have a choice in using Facebook. A lot of businesses, social clubs, schools/daycare centers, etc use Facebook as their primary online presence. Your option is to either sign up or not participate.

1. Don't participate 2. Communicate with the business through some other means (all local businesses I deal with have a phone), and if they don't provide one, then stop doing business there, too, and find a way to tell them why. 3. If your friends won't communicate with you simply because you won't use a Facebook-owned communication channel, then I have bad news for you: They might not really be great friends. Sorry…

I get that this advice works for you. What makes you so confident that you understand the situations of everybody else on the planet?

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#56

Post by rosstex »

nefitty wrote: post #44
lokar wrote: post #12

I worry that simply breaking up FB could make things worse. Today, with a safe monopoly feedung high profit margins they can afford some mitigations (more reviewers, etc) and to "hold back" a bit on some of the worst/unhealthy engagement tricks. Several more equal competitors would feel pressure to outdo each other. Some other fix is needed (probably in addition to breakup).

I wonder if the government could create a regulatory AI that could be applied to social media companies. As laws and regulations change, the AI would just need to be updated and it would enforce them automatically on the companies.

And it should take into account the shared experiences and values of U.S. Congress members, who are elected to serve the best interests of their constituents.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#57

Post by stri8ted »

dylan604 wrote: post #54
stri8ted wrote: post #46

Assume Facebook no longer exists tomorrow. The same incentives that drive Facebook's behavior, i.e. human consumption patterns, will still exist. And will be exploited by another company. Facebook is merely one instance of a problem deeply rooted in humans. Sure, there is the anti-competitive aspect to it. But wrt to the divisiveness and polarization, the exploitation by political actors, it would not make a differen…

That's an acceptable view point. However, that doesn't mean FB should not be punished into oblivion. They don't get a free pass just because "someone else would have done it if we didn't" is not an acceptable defense.

I don't disagree. My point is more broadly about the ills of social media, and how it's often framed as a Facebook problem.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#58

Post by laurent92 »

MadeThisToReply wrote: post #43
jorgesborges wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive, has argued that only companies as large as Facebook have the resources to fight misinformation, election meddling and harmful content. Look, they’re not a propaganda machine! I’m so thankful we have them to “fight” against “misinformation”. I read that and my blood began to boil. Evil is the perfect description of such disgusting, deceitful pandering.

Facebook thinks it's the company to "fight election meddling"? Is this the same Facebook that meddled in the 2020 US presidential election by suppressing the distribution of a factual news story because the facts were embarrassing to the Biden campaign? What next, is Bill Cosby going to tell us that he's an activist for women's rights?

Here is an alternative take on Bill Cosby’s culpability, it may revert your opinion: https://youtu.be/QQXZ6752EiY

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#59

Post by wintermutestwin »

ryandrake wrote: post #37
Nextgrid wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Facebook wasn't behaving anti-competitively by preventing interoperability this might work, but as of right now an individual may not always have a choice in using Facebook. A lot of businesses, social clubs, schools/daycare centers, etc use Facebook as their primary online presence. Your option is to either sign up or not participate.

1. Don't participate 2. Communicate with the business through some other means (all local businesses I deal with have a phone), and if they don't provide one, then stop doing business there, too, and find a way to tell them why. 3. If your friends won't communicate with you simply because you won't use a Facebook-owned communication channel, then I have bad news for you: They might not really be great friends. Sorry…

I am responsible for outreach of two local community based non-profits. FB is de-facto mandatory for us. Not participating would greatly hobble our ability to reach the people we serve. And, thanks to FB's crap, I am forced to manage the presence of these non-profits with an account created with my PII.

Re: As a whistleblower prepares to speak out, what can be done to rein in Facebook?

#60

Post by flerchin »

MadeThisToReply wrote: post #43
jorgesborges wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive, has argued that only companies as large as Facebook have the resources to fight misinformation, election meddling and harmful content. Look, they’re not a propaganda machine! I’m so thankful we have them to “fight” against “misinformation”. I read that and my blood began to boil. Evil is the perfect description of such disgusting, deceitful pandering.

Facebook thinks it's the company to "fight election meddling"? Is this the same Facebook that meddled in the 2020 US presidential election by suppressing the distribution of a factual news story because the facts were embarrassing to the Biden campaign? What next, is Bill Cosby going to tell us that he's an activist for women's rights?

I like how you don't mention the specifics, so that folks outside of your echo chamber won't know what you're talking about. Clearly the specifics don't even matter, just the general truthiness of your tone. This is perfect Colbert.
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