In shocking (/s) September news, Facebook was revealed through internal documents to be less than forthright about known effects of its products by the Wall Street Journal in a series of reports dubbed The Facebook Files. Maybe it was an isolated incidence of tech bro over-jocularity in a libidinal economy. Those with focus enough to look past the surface might see some historical parallels. We’ll look at The Facebook Files from other sources to cover those with lapsed WSJ subscriptions, and then we will look for a few antecedents from oil, tobacco and automotive industries.
Who’d a thunk it
Lead Facebook File reporter Jeff Horwitz listed a few points to take from their series in an PBS interview.
- Facebook has, in the last few years, come to understand through significant research what it’s effects are on society.
- They turn out to be pretty grave in some instances..
- Facebook has a problem managing itself, (in) keeping attention on problems to fix them, and … adhering to its own rules internally.
In Facebook’s defense, they have stated that The Facebook Files is just plain false, just like they said The Social Dilemma distorts social media. But, then Facebook can’t even act like it is cracking down on COVID disinformation very well. Until they open up for full transparency and oversight, I will take their denials with some skepticism. As far as The Facebook Files report goes, details have been spelled out on numerous platforms. Here is a brief rundown.
As reported on NPR, Facebook and it’s platforms had at least two tiers of access to posting, with one reserved for VIPs called XCheck. Apparently almost anybody at Facebook could add VIPs in a chaotically managed system in which
no one disputed that XCheck was a mess and that the program was unseemly and was in, you know, direct conflict with what the company had said publicly its rules are. That said, they really weren't willing to take on the mess of just simply doing away with it, particularly with the 2020 election coming up.
Meanwhile, Facebook looked to be avoiding distractions, such as human lives from the other end of the elite spectrum.
Facebook employees regularly flagged information about drug cartels and human traffickers on the platform but the company's response was "weak".
The WSJ reported that Facebook took only limited action until Apple threatened to remove its products from its App Store.
It may be that Facebook botched XCheck and human trafficking due to a business-like focus on the bottom line. For this social media leader that meant investing in unprecedented research on mental health impacts of social media, where they reached some interesting conclusions.
internal research showed that one of its algorithms actually encourages angrier content. Or that Instagram, which it owns, makes body issues worse for teen girls.
Strangely, we missed those press conferences at Facebook, because
Facebook knew all of those things because they were findings from its own internal research teams. But it didn’t tell anyone. In some cases, its executives even made public statements at odds with the findings.
And, as a result.
“Time and again, the documents show, Facebook’s researchers have identified the platform’s ill effects. Time and again, despite congressional hearings, its own pledges and numerous media exposés, the company didn’t fix them,”
Now, that is serious. We need the internet. Social media has been woven into our daily lives. How could they do that to us. Good businesses don’t double cross their markets like that. Except when they do.
Energy to burn
Oil companies have been known to smear us with tall tales. For one, oil companies knew about the potential for global warming and catastrophic climate change long ago.
"What they did was immoral. They spread doubt about the dangers of climate change when their own researchers were confirming how serious a threat it was."
It was not just Exxon. Big oil had a whole consortium of liars.
between 1979 and 1983 the American Petroleum Institute (API), a fossil fuel interest group, worked with oil companies to “monitor and share climate research.” Participants included scientists hired by Exxon, Mobil, Amoco, Phillips, Texaco, Shell, Sunoco, and more. Basically, they all knew about climate change, and they all quietly and intentionally brushed evidence of it under the rug.
But oil companies couldn’t stop at denial over whether their product was toppling the climate that civilization has adapted to. They have since added selling us on recycling to sell us more plastic that they know won’t be recycled.
the industry spent millions telling people to recycle, because, as one former top industry insider told NPR, selling recycling sold plastic, even if it wasn't true.
Step on it
Automobile manufactures have lied so much you can readily find lists of auto company misstatements online. From fuel economy and emission toxicity, through vehicle safety to blaming drivers, no subject seems out of bounds for auto industry confabulaters. Check the links for details. I’m skipping them here in hopes of finishing this piece.
Blowing smoke
Tobacco companies told us smoking and being around smokers is safe, that nicotine is not addictive, and that they weren’t manipulating nicotine levels anyway. It took government led lawsuits for tobacco to admit some inconsistencies.
For many years, Big Tobacco knew that smoking was dangerous to a person’s health—and they still told the public that smoking was safe.
One of tobacco’s business friendly mistakes was their treatment of minors.
For decades, tobacco companies have aggressively promoted their products using tactics that appeal to children.
4 out of 5 youth smokers will become adult smokers. It’s a number that Big Tobacco counts on to keep making profit.
In a coincidence, Facebook has also agonized over how to get preteens to use its product. Plus social media looks to be addictive too, especially for youngsters.
Is there a pattern here?
While acknowledging that most corporate decisions are above board and honest, this history remains troubling. Capitalism demands profit for survival and corporations are obligated to profit first and foremost. This does not mean that board members will automatically deceive, but it seems that there can be great conflicts at times between maintaining integrity and seeking profit. Many have made wrong choices in these situations. Social media is no exception, and has apparently chosen markets over humanity on numerous occasions already.
Just as vehicles are built to drive on our public roadways. Social media is transported over our publicly developed internet. Moreover, the internet is now essential for pubic well being. We can’t rely on social media to correct themselves. It’s time to take our internet back and make it a public utility subject to transparent oversight. Companies who wish to use this public utility should then be required to abide by standards, like broadcast stations are subjected to regulations from the FCC.