Facebook Doesn’t Care
Posted: 20/11/2013 | Author: The Political Idealist | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cyberbullying, Digital establishment, Facebook, freedom, Google, society, the internet |Comments OffOur largest Internet firms- the ones which are valued at billions of dollars and yet seem to produce nothing of value- often have lax ethical standards, but do pride themselves on what limits they do have. Thus Apple’s Appstore and Youtube are pornography-free zones, Microsoft (now incorporating Nokia) don’t read their users’ emails, unlike a certain company whose name begins with ‘G’. Until recently, Facebook would have joined that list with their blocking of savage executions by beheading. Not any more.
Out of the blue, the social network lifted the ban, with the proviso that any videos could not glorify the savagery depicted within them. The move did not seem to be prompted by anything in particular, other than a will to alienate more and more people. Facebook says that there is nothing wrong with sharing these videos if one is seeking to raise awareness of the issue of these bloody murders. That may be true, but I don’t think a social network is the right place for it. It is too easy to unintentionally stumble on something like this on Facebook.
One can guarantee that, at this very minute, there are hundreds of beheading videos being shared on Facebook by groups who are delighted with the content but are careful not to say so.
Not that Facebook cares about this or the wellbeing of any of its users. Whether it’s inappropriate advertising, the designing of the network to haemorrhage our personal data indiscriminately, the pathetic sidestepping of their modest tax responsibilities, or the persistent resistance to anti-cyber bullying measures, Facebook has led the Digital Establishment in general poor conduct. I hate to say this, but Facebook makes even Google look saintly by comparison.
And why does Facebook do this? Because it can do almost whatever it likes without slowing its seemingly inexorable rise. Facebook has getting on for one billion users: no boycott or protest is going to hurt them any time soon. But MySpace, Bebo and Friends Reunited seemed impregnable once, and though they declined due to fashion and technical inferiority, one wonders if they might have done better if users felt respected by the websites.
Anyhow, the best policy is simply to withdraw your custom from organisations which don’t value you.
