Inside Facebook: Secrets of the Social Network
6 years, 3 months ago

Inside Facebook: Secrets of the Social Network

Al Jazeera  

From violence to hate speech, self-harm to child abuse, is Facebook putting profit before safety? From violence to hate speech, self-harm to child abuse, this documentary gives undercover access to how Facebook handles extreme content and asks if the company is putting profit before safety. With 100 million hours of video watched every day on Facebook, how does the world’s biggest social media platform decide what can and can’t be posted on its site? What he finds striking is that graphic images are often allowed to remain on the site, solidifying speculations that Facebook’s business model values extreme content. “It’s the really extreme, really dangerous form of content that attracts the most highly engaged people on the platform…Facebook has learned that the people on the extremes are the really valuable ones because one person on either extreme can often provoke 50 or 100 other people and so they want as much extreme content as they can get.” In the documentary, Richard Allan, Facebook’s head of public policy apologises for some abusive content failing to be deleted but denies the rules are based on revenue.

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History of this topic

Video: Mark Zuckerberg revamps Meta's content moderation policies
1 week ago

Video: Mark Zuckerberg revamps Meta's content moderation policies

India Today  

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced a major shift in content moderation policies across the company’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The move aims to prioritise free speech, overhauling the current system with a new community-driven approach inspired by Elon Musk’s X. In a video message, Zuckerberg said, “It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression …

Happy 20th birthday, Facebook… isn’t it now time you grew up?
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Happy 20th birthday, Facebook… isn’t it now time you grew up?

The Independent  

They may be mighty, those new tech giants, the digital masters of the universe, their owners some of the richest people in the history of the world, and wielding vast power and influence over the lives of people who use their services – but they can still be forced to account for their actions and made to apologise for the …

Zuckerberg: King of the Metaverse, review: how Facebook changed (then ruined) the world
1 year ago

Zuckerberg: King of the Metaverse, review: how Facebook changed (then ruined) the world

The Telegraph  

Remember when Facebook seemed harmless? In Zuckerberg: King of the Metaverse, one former executive put it this way: “When I first joined, movies were being made; the founder was on the cover of Time magazine; you’re overthrowing dictators. Now, you’re being told you destroyed democracy.” The film traced Facebook from Zuckerberg’s invention to world domination and scandals involving data harvesting, …

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document
2 years, 1 month ago

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document

CBS News  

Families suing social media companies Suing Social Media: Families say social media algorithms put their kids in danger | 60 Minutes 13:29 A previously unpublished internal document reveals Facebook, now known as Meta, knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content. Attorney Matt Bergman started the Social Media Victims Law Center after reading the so-called "Facebook Papers," disclosed by whistleblower …

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document
2 years, 1 month ago

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document

CBS News  

Families suing social media companies Suing Social Media: Families say social media algorithms put their kids in danger | 60 Minutes 13:29 A previously unpublished internal document reveals Facebook, now known as Meta, knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content. Attorney Matt Bergman started the Social Media Victims Law Center after reading the so-called "Facebook Papers," disclosed by whistleblower …

Facebook’s most popular posts were trash. Here is how it cleaned up
2 years, 1 month ago

Facebook’s most popular posts were trash. Here is how it cleaned up

Live Mint  

Earlier this year, Meta Platforms Inc. quietly convened a war room of staffers to address a critical problem: virtually all of Facebook’s top-ranked content was spammy, oversexualized or generally what the company classified as regrettable. But the company’s executives and researchers were growing embarrassed that its widely viewed content report, a quarterly survey of the posts with the broadest reach, …

Facebook whistleblower launches nonprofit to solve social media harms
2 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower launches nonprofit to solve social media harms

The Hindu  

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is launching a nonprofit organisation that will seek solutions to harms created by social media, she said on Thursday. The former product manager at Facebook, since renamed Meta Platforms, made headlines last year after coming out as the source of thousands of leaked internal documents, which she said detailed the social media company's failures to protect …

Writing on the wall
2 years, 10 months ago

Writing on the wall

The Hindu  

A lot can happen in a year. In January 2021, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented the social media giant’s fourth-quarter earnings, he said he plans to increase privacy-focused features, blend social commerce with messaging applications, and build the next computing platform. Facebook waning Though Facebook does not share data about the number of active users app wise, its core …

Facebook has become a hellscape – and there’s no way out
2 years, 10 months ago

Facebook has become a hellscape – and there’s no way out

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Its restructuring meant that an automated …

Facebook Banned Trump 1 Year Ago. Social Media Hasn't Gotten Much Better.
3 years ago

Facebook Banned Trump 1 Year Ago. Social Media Hasn't Gotten Much Better.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING So: Have they? Facebook “remains an extremist breeding ground,” offering militia groups unparalleled ability to spread anti-government propaganda, recruit new members and even run ads, according to a report by the Tech Transparency Project released last week. “The prevalence of these groups is startlingly similar to what we found a year ago.” In a separate study focused …

Facebook whistleblower fears the metaverse
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook whistleblower fears the metaverse

The Hindu  

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said she fears the impact of the metaverse that the social media giant has rebranded to focus on delivering, saying the futuristic virtual reality world would force people to give up more of their personal information, be addicting and give the embattled company another monopoly in the online world. In an interview with The Associated Press …

‘Prioritise people and planet over profit’: Patagonia calls on firms to join Facebook boycott
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Prioritise people and planet over profit’: Patagonia calls on firms to join Facebook boycott

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Patagonia has renewed calls …

Facebook’s safety head tells U.K. lawmakers it does not amplify hate
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook’s safety head tells U.K. lawmakers it does not amplify hate

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc's algorithms demote rather than promote polarising content, its global head of safety told British lawmakers on Thursday, adding that the U.S. company would welcome effective government regulation. "I don't agree that we are amplifying hate," Davis told the committee on Thursday, adding: "I think we try to take in signals to ensure that we demote content that is …

'Where does the buck stop?': UK lawmakers grill Facebook over online safety
3 years, 2 months ago

'Where does the buck stop?': UK lawmakers grill Facebook over online safety

Firstpost  

Representatives from Google, Twitter and TikTok also will be questioned by members of a parliamentary committee scrutinizing the British government’s draft online safety legislation London: British lawmakers grilled Facebook on Thursday over how it handles online safety as European countries move to rein in the power of social media companies, with the tech giant’s head of safety saying the company …

Former Zuckerberg advisor: Facebook’s problem is its business model
3 years, 2 months ago

Former Zuckerberg advisor: Facebook’s problem is its business model

CNN  

Editor’s Note: This interview has been editing for length and clarity. New York CNN Business — Calls for increased regulation of Facebook continue to grow louder after leaked internal documents became public and whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony showed that the social media platform has repeatedly failed to rein hate speech and misinformation. On Friday, a consortium of 17 US news …

Facebook Papers: 6 big takeaways
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Papers: 6 big takeaways

CNN  

CNN Business — Facebook is no stranger to the limelight. In response to these documents a Facebook spokesperson told CNN, “The responsibility for the violence that occurred on January 6 lies with those who attacked our Capitol and those who encouraged them.” Global lack of support Internal Facebook documents and research shared as part of Haugen’s disclosures highlight gaps in …

Facebook papers: Huge trove of documents released from inside social network, showing struggle to keep control
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook papers: Huge trove of documents released from inside social network, showing struggle to keep control

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A huge trove of documents from inside Facebook has been released, showing the …

People or profit? Facebook papers show deep conflict within
3 years, 2 months ago

People or profit? Facebook papers show deep conflict within

Associated Press  

Facebook the company is losing control of Facebook the product — not to mention the last shreds of its carefully crafted, decade-old image as a benevolent company just wanting to connect the world. “A curated selection out of millions of documents at Facebook can in no way be used to draw fair conclusions about us,” Facebook tweeted from its public …

October 25, 2021 internal Facebook documents revealed
3 years, 2 months ago

October 25, 2021 internal Facebook documents revealed

CNN  

While Facebook has repeatedly come under fire over the past few years for its role in disseminating misinformation, especially related to the 2016 election, the last two months have been especially turbulent as a whistleblower and top officials have been called to testify in front of Congress following the release of leaked internal research and documents. Spread of misinformation In …

Five Key Takeaways From the Leaked Facebook Documents
3 years, 2 months ago

Five Key Takeaways From the Leaked Facebook Documents

Bloomberg  

Facebook has been struggling to attract younger users for more than a decade, and some senior employees are alarmed over the company’s inability to keep teens engaged. The documents provide rare, vivid insight into ways Facebook, under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, created a Silicon Valley social media behemoth that -- while frequently posting lavish sales and …

Facebook will fuel more unrest, whistle-blower tells UK lawmakers
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will fuel more unrest, whistle-blower tells UK lawmakers

Al Jazeera  

The social media giant needs to stop its algorithms from pushing divisive content, Frances Haugen tells British politicians. Facebook Inc will fuel more violent unrest around the world unless it stops its algorithms from pushing extreme and divisive content, whistle-blower Frances Haugen has told a British parliamentary committee. The world’s biggest social network has rejected the charges, with CEO Mark …

Just what are the ‘Facebook Papers’? An explainer
3 years, 2 months ago

Just what are the ‘Facebook Papers’? An explainer

LA Times  

The “Facebook Papers” project represents a unique collaboration among 17 American news organizations, including the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and CNN. Journalists from a variety of newsrooms, large and small, worked together to gain access to thousands of pages of internal company documents obtained by Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager-turned-whistleblower. That date …

Facebook dithered in curbing divisive user content in India
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook dithered in curbing divisive user content in India

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI, India — Facebook in India has been selective in curbing hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts, particularly anti-Muslim content, according to leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press, even as the internet giant’s own employees cast doubt over its motivations and interests. The leaked documents include a trove of internal company reports on hate speech and misinformation in …

Facebook Oversight Board member calls for more transparency
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Oversight Board member calls for more transparency

CNN  

New York, NY CNN — As more of Facebook’s internal documents are revealed, Facebook Oversight Board member and PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel emphasized that the platform must do a better job with transparency. The Oversight Board’s first report, released last week, revealed that the group of independent content moderators prompted Facebook to restore more than 30 pieces of content …

Facebook Papers Reveal How It Had Been 'Fueling This Fire' Ahead Of The Insurrection
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Papers Reveal How It Had Been 'Fueling This Fire' Ahead Of The Insurrection

Huff Post  

WASHINGTON — As supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th, battling police and forcing lawmakers into hiding, an insurrection of a different kind was taking place inside the world’s largest social media company. At the same time, frustration inside Facebook erupted over what some saw as the company’s halting and often reversed response to rising extremism …

January 6 insurrection and Facebook: Internal docs paint a damning picture
3 years, 2 months ago

January 6 insurrection and Facebook: Internal docs paint a damning picture

CNN  

CNN Business — Just days after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on January 6th, Facebook’s Chief Operational Officer Sheryl Sandberg downplayed her company’s role in what had happened. “After the violence at the Capitol erupted and as we saw continued attempts to organize events to dispute the outcome of the presidential election, we removed content with the phrase ‘stop the steal’ …

Today's Cache | Facebook's next bet may not be social media
3 years, 2 months ago

Today's Cache | Facebook's next bet may not be social media

The Hindu  

As Facebook’s existing businesses are under scrutiny, the socialnetwork is moving ahead with its next venture Facebook and its family of apps have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri told Buzzfeed news in March that “It’s one of the things we’re exploring.” That led to 44 attorneys general in the U.S. signing an open letter …

Facebook to hire 10,000 people in EU to build the ‘metaverse’
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook to hire 10,000 people in EU to build the ‘metaverse’

CNN  

London CNN Business — Facebook plans to hire up to 10,000 workers in Europe to build a “metaverse” that will combine virtual and augmented reality technologies in a new online realm. “As we begin the journey of bringing the metaverse to life, the need for highly specialized engineers is one of Facebook’s most pressing priorities,” Facebook executives Nick Clegg and …

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc will now count activists and journalists as "involuntary" public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week. Facebook also differentiates between public figures and private individuals in the protections it affords around online discussion: for instance, users are generally allowed to call for …

Facebook update will ‘nudge’ teens off Instagram if they look at harmful content amid child protection scandal
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook update will ‘nudge’ teens off Instagram if they look at harmful content amid child protection scandal

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Facebook will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break …

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content

The Hindu  

A Facebook Inc executive said Sunday that the company would introduce new measures on its apps to prompt teens away from harmful content, as U.S lawmakers scrutinise how Facebook and subsidiaries like Instagram affect young people's mental health. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, also expressed openness to the idea of letting regulators have access to Facebook algorithms …

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles

Hindustan Times  

When Senator Edward Markey on Tuesday called Frances Haugen “a 21st-century American hero,” it underlined the trouble Facebook finds itself in. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is defending allegations that the company has long ignored teenage safety on its platforms, particularly Instagram, resolving conflicts in favour of profits. Facebook has been accused of hiding internal research about how Instagram’s algorithms were negatively …

‘Not true’: Mark Zuckerberg responds to claims that Facebook prioritises profit
3 years, 3 months ago

‘Not true’: Mark Zuckerberg responds to claims that Facebook prioritises profit

Live Mint  

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg publicly addressed a recent series of negative stories about the company by saying that accusations about Facebook prioritizing profit over user safety are “just not true.” “It’s difficult to see coverage that misrepresents our work and our motives. It came shortly after whistle-blower Frances Haugen, a former employee, testified in a Senate hearing about …

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights

Associated Press  

A former Facebook employee told members of Congress Tuesday that the company knows that its platform spreads misinformation and content that harms children but refuses to make changes that could hurt its profits. “A lot of the changes that I’m talking about are not going to make Facebook an unprofitable company, it just won’t be a ludicrously profitable company like …

FB whistleblower calls for regulation
3 years, 3 months ago

FB whistleblower calls for regulation

The Hindu  

A Facebook whistleblower went before U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday to push them to regulate the social media giant, after an outage hit potentially billions of users and highlighted global dependence on its services. She spoke to Senators less than a day after Facebook, its photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging service WhatsApp went offline for roughly seven hours, with “billions of …

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s accusations against the social network
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s accusations against the social network

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “They are deadly - way beyond what we've seen so far.” Ms Haugen, who left the Big …

Facebook accused by whistleblower of focusing on profits instead of suppressing hate speech
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook accused by whistleblower of focusing on profits instead of suppressing hate speech

Firstpost  

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen said the social media giant’s products contributed to the Capitol riots in Washington, in January. Facebook has been accused by a whistleblower for concentrating more on profits than reducing hate speech and fake news and how its products contributed to the Capitol riots in Washington, in January. Facebook accused by a whistleblower Haugen recently appeared …

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy

NPR  

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images A former Facebook product manager told Congress on Tuesday that the company's products harm children and stoke division, while Facebook executives hide research about the social network's risks to keep its business humming. Facebook internal research provided by Haugen …

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy
3 years, 3 months ago

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy

LA Times  

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen testified Tuesday before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. “The company’s leadership knows ways to make Facebook and Instagram safer and won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people,” said Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist who has …

Facebook whistleblower testifies company ‘is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny’
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower testifies company ‘is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny’

CNN  

CNN Business — The Facebook whistleblower who released tens of thousands of pages of internal research and documents indicating the company was aware of various problems caused by its apps, including Instagram’s potential “toxic” effect on teen girls, called on Congress to take action against the social media platform in testimony before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. But we must act …

Facebook whistleblower: Frances Haugen and her biggest revelations on 60 Minutes
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower: Frances Haugen and her biggest revelations on 60 Minutes

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Frances Haugen was interviewed on Sunday by CBS …

‘Facebook prioritising profit over safety’
3 years, 3 months ago

‘Facebook prioritising profit over safety’

The Hindu  

The whistleblower who shared a trove of Facebook documents alleging the social media giant knew its products were fuelling hate and harming children’s mental health revealed her identity on Sunday in a televised interview, and accused the company of choosing “profit over safety”. Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old data scientist, has worked for companies including Google and Pinterest — but said …

Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A data scientist who was revealed Sunday as the Facebook whistleblower says that whenever there was a conflict between the public good and what benefited the company, the social media giant would choose its own interests. Post-election, the company dissolved a unit on civic integrity where she had been working, which Haugen said was the moment she …

Facebook: ‘Ludicrous’ to say it fuelled US Capitol riot
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook: ‘Ludicrous’ to say it fuelled US Capitol riot

Al Jazeera  

Facebook’s vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also pushed back at the assertion its platforms are ‘toxic’ for teens. Facebook has dismissed as “ludicrous” suggestions it contributed to the US Capitol riot on January 6, a charge the social media giant expects will be levelled in an upcoming whistle-blower interview. Facebook’s vice president of policy and global …

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth
3 years, 3 months ago

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Senators fired a barrage of criticism Thursday at a Facebook executive over the social-networking giant’s handling of internal research on how its Instagram photo-sharing platform can harm teens. “It’s abundantly clear that Facebook views the events of the last two weeks purely as a PR problem, and that the issues raised by the leaked research haven’t led to …

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids
3 years, 3 months ago

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids

NPR  

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. We know it chooses the growth of its …

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children
3 years, 3 months ago

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children

Al Jazeera  

United States lawmakers have heaped criticism on Facebook Inc on the company’s plans to protect children who use its social media platforms, after a leaked internal investigation showed the social media giant was aware of how its Instagram app harmed the mental health of teenagers. Democratic Senator Edward Markey added: “IG stands for Instagram, but it also stands for Insta-greed.” …

Whistleblower behind damning 'Facebook Files' will reveal identity and testify before Congress
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower behind damning 'Facebook Files' will reveal identity and testify before Congress

Daily Mail  

The whistleblower who leaked the notorious 'Facebook Files' which revealed that the social media giant knew Instagram could be toxic to teenage girls, will reveal their identity and testify Congress before the end of 2020. A source familiar with the matter said the whistleblower has agreed to work with Congress and plans to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee Consumer …

Facebook explains content it demotes in news feed in bid for transparency
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook explains content it demotes in news feed in bid for transparency

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc on Thursday said it reduces the distribution of certain content including clickbait,posts with "sensationalist" or exaggerated health claims or low-quality videos on its news feed, and outlined its content guidelines as the social media platform faces increased scrutiny over how it displays content to users. In a blog post, Facebook said it sought to provide clarity on the …

Facebook calls Wall Street Journal reports “deliberate mischaracterizations”
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook calls Wall Street Journal reports “deliberate mischaracterizations”

The Hindu  

Last week, Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook’s content moderation fails to take strict action against politicians and celebrities who violate the platform’s rules. In a response to the articles, Facebook’s head of global affairs Nick Clegg called the reports “deliberate mischaracterizations” of the work the company does. However, he added the allegations that Facebook conducts research, and then systematically …

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