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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFacebook Killed Research Into Capitol Riot to Protect Itself--Not Users
Link to tweet
https://gizmodo.com/facebook-killed-research-into-capitol-riot-to-protect-i-1847438827
When the Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion for deceiving its users on privacy, it celebrated the fine as record-breaking and history-making. Two years and $200 billion in revenue later, Facebook has found a way to turn lemons into lemonade, deceiving its users once again and using a seemingly powerless FTC to do it.
Facebooks Tuesday night crackdown on research into the dangerous falsehoods perpetuated by its platform was predicated on the lie that the FTC had effectively forced its hand. We took these actions to stop unauthorized scraping and protect peoples privacy in line with our privacy program under the FTC Order, it said. That statement sparked a flurry of condemnation from federal lawmakers, who accused the company of working to conceal its role in fostering fraud and abuse thats having a corrosive effect on the country.
Facebook wasnt shy about laying out its motivation, though its excuses contained one lie of omission after the next. The action was taken, it said, to obstruct research into its platform conducted out of New York University; work intended to enhance knowledge production on a range of critically relevant societal harms; the attraction of violent belief systems, the weaponization of election disinformation, conspiratorial attitudes eroding the publics faith in validated medical science, et cetera.
The Knight Institute, a First Amendment nonprofit housed at Columbia University, is convinced Facebooks motive was somehow even more sinister: Although Facebook had denounced the NYU researchers and their methods ten months ago, their work was allowed to continue until Tuesdayhours after learning researchers had expanded the project to include Facebooks role on January 6, the day of the Capitol insurrection.
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OAITW r.2.0
(24,737 posts)But then, the Russians were early investors....have to wonder if the Zuck is really fucked.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)crickets
(25,989 posts)This article is a big eye-opener. Facebook realized it was in danger of getting caught aiding and abetting disinformation, including disinformation about vaccines and Jan 6. That's the real reason they pulled the plug. The FTC reaction was limp at ineffective. They should have taken a much harder stance against what has happened. Some sort of crackdown on Facebook needs to happen. It's too dangerous to the country to let this go.
ShazamIam
(2,577 posts)produce a few more Subpoenas from the Congressional Select Committee.
UpInArms
(51,289 posts)And Fuckerberg should be run out of town on a rail
RANDYWILDMAN
(2,678 posts)Who trusts a mark Zuckerberg anyways.
If the social network is even partially true he is 100 % asshole
The face that he met with Trump multiple times tells he is sympathetic to traitors.
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)I is now a " Insurrection" !! thank's !!
Kid Berwyn
(15,040 posts)And stalkers.