Are Social Media Websites like Facebook and Twitter becoming too powerful?

[Admiral Beez]

On Facebook, ironically the most interesting and informative posts occur in smaller privately-moderated groups, away from the public pages.

It's not ironic, IMO, but is what we always did before social media and the mass sharing of our personal sh#t. Small groups of informed, like-minded or open-minded people have always met in small groups to discuss matters of the day.

I disdain how everyone seeks mass attention or group approval of whatever they think or are up to. At 49 years old, I am so very glad that I lived a good portion of my life before social media or the need to air one's laundry on everything.

 

[Johnny Au]

Wikipedia has a very long article on the criticism of Facebook:

Criticism of Facebook - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wikipedia, however, does not have an article on the criticism of Twitter yet.

Wikipedia may be user-generated and has its flaws, but in the grand schemes of things, Wikipedia is the best of worst user-generated news websites (and many of the most popular and/or controversial articles are semi-protected at a minimum).

Even Media Bias/Fact Check says that Wikipedia is least biased:

Wikipedia - Media Bias Fact Check

LEAST BIASED These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes)....

mediabiasfactcheck.com

...and more balanced than Facebook News:

Facebook News - Bias and Credibility

LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording

mediabiasfactcheck.com

 

[Admiral Beez]

Wikipedia has a very long article on the criticism of Facebook

This site covers it well too.

Stop Hate for Profit

Tech companies are not doing enough to fight hate on their digital social platforms. They must Stop Hate for Profit. Join the fight.

www.stophateforprofit.org

 

[Johnny Au]

This site covers it well too.

Stop Hate for Profit

Tech companies are not doing enough to fight hate on their digital social platforms. They must Stop Hate for Profit. Join the fight.

www.stophateforprofit.org

That website even has a list of companies pledging to stop hate for profit:

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES | STOP HATE FOR PROFIT

www.stophateforprofit.org

Note the businesses not on the list. Many of those companies not on the list continue to fund hate.

 

[Admiral Beez]

That website even has a list of companies pledging to stop hate for profit:

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES | STOP HATE FOR PROFIT

www.stophateforprofit.org

Note the businesses not on the list. Many of those companies not on the list continue to fund hate.

I wouldn’t be so fast to give kudos to these companies. First of all, it’s low cost publicity, so the brands get the public’s attention and respect for free. Secondly, the PR and ad firms that these brands hire are more than happy to pull FB ad spend since that leaves more money to spend at their own firms. Lastly, these brands have subsidiary brands and foreign unit’s that are not pulling. FB ads. I look at all this with a cynical, onion peeling eye.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From CBC:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/boogaloo-guns-government-facebook-1.5632056

Also see: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/facebook-instagram-profit-boogaloo-ads

AoD

 

[Johnny Au]

MEC, Coca-Cola, Lululemon, Starbucks, and Volkswagen don't want to advertise on a hate-filled website, no matter how mainstream.

The Zuckercorp lost $56 billion in valuation as a result.

Facebook removes accounts associated with 'boogaloo' movement amid ads boycott

Facebook announced it removed a network of accounts, groups and pages associated with the far-right extremist movement known as "boogaloo."

www.cnbc.com

It also doesn't help that the Zuckercorp had to rely on Wikipedia for fact-checking.

Meanwhile, Discord and Reddit are shutting down Boogaloo groups:

Discord Just Shut Down the Biggest ‘Boogaloo’ Server for Inciting Violence

Discord determined the server violates their community guidelines for “threatening and encouraging violence” after VICE News reported its existence.

www.vice.com

 

[AlbertC]

All five of Canada's largest banks have joined in on the Facebook boycott:

All 5 of Canada’s largest banks join Facebook ad boycott in anti-hate campaign - National | Globalnews.ca

Scotiabank, RBC, CIBC and BMO have pledged to stop purchasing ads on the site for the month, aligning themselves with brands such as Lululemon and MEC in signing onto the #StopHateForProfit campaign.

globalnews.ca

 

[Johnny Au]

The Anti-Defamation League is behind the Stop Hate for Profit campaign. That organization has done a great job showing that profiting from hate is immoral at best. Hurt the Zucks where it hurts him the most. He can't sell personal information to advertisers who don't want personal information containing affiliation with extremists of any stripe.

No reputable Global 500 company wants to be associated with racists, misogynists, homophobes, quacks, conspiracy theorists, and/or Neo-Confederates. Being associated with extremists will forever tarnish the companies' brand image.

There is a difference between free speech and civil free speech.

 

[Johnny Au]

The right accuses Facebook of blocking more conservatives than liberals, but in fact, the opposite is true:

Mark Zuckerberg denies Facebook is a “right-wing echo chamber,” but the facts tell a different story

www.mediamatters.org

 

[Admiral Beez]

Looks like Facebook is calling Europe’s bluff.

Facebook Says it Will Stop Operating in Europe If Regulators Don’t Back Down

European regulators are cracking down on Facebook's ability to transfer data across the Atlantic. Now the tech giant is threatening to pull its services from more than 400 million European users.

www.vice.com

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Looks like Facebook is calling Europe’s bluff.

Facebook Says it Will Stop Operating in Europe If Regulators Don’t Back Down

European regulators are cracking down on Facebook's ability to transfer data across the Atlantic. Now the tech giant is threatening to pull its services from more than 400 million European users.

www.vice.com

That might be the best thing ever. I can only hope we have similar legislations.

AoD

 

[Northern Light]

Looks like Facebook is calling Europe’s bluff.

Facebook Says it Will Stop Operating in Europe If Regulators Don’t Back Down

European regulators are cracking down on Facebook's ability to transfer data across the Atlantic. Now the tech giant is threatening to pull its services from more than 400 million European users.

www.vice.com

I'm not persuaded that there's a European bluff.

I find it more likely that Facebook is bluffing.

That's a lot of revenue to forsake for no material reason.

They could easily operate while limiting data transfer between continents.

Doubtless, to the extent users interact between continents, some data transfer would be required, the question would be one of degree and how that transfer is made secure.

 

[Johnny Au]

Looks like Facebook is calling Europe’s bluff.

Facebook Says it Will Stop Operating in Europe If Regulators Don’t Back Down

European regulators are cracking down on Facebook's ability to transfer data across the Atlantic. Now the tech giant is threatening to pull its services from more than 400 million European users.

www.vice.com

Will this apply to Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger? If so, then score one for the European Union. Privacy is a fundamental human right.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From Channel 4:

Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

3.5 million Black Americans were profiled and categorised as ‘Deterrence’ by Trump campaign – voters they wanted to stay home on election day

www.channel4.com

AoD