This statement makes a lot of assumptions -> It is clear that Facebook is either unwilling or unable to effectively address the spread of misinformation. Let'

This statement makes a lot of assumptions -> It is clear that Facebook is either unwilling or unable to effectively address the spread of misinformation. Let's consider What happens if Facebook stops 'misinformation'? People go to places that have 'misinformation' because people are seeking what validates their already existing view of the world + people want to be excited and thrilled and entertained Misinformation = way more exciting than the boring truth It's not that Facebook is unwilling or unable to address the spread of misinformation It's entire existence is predicated on playing to the lower instincts of humans Facebook is set up to ENTERTAIN people and create a Beautiful Skinner Box for people where they keep chasing (likes) cheese and keep avoiding electric shocks (getting ignored, no juicy gossip, no polarizing and exciting news) It's a Skinner Box You do good things for the Box and it gives you a rush of dopamine Create good content -> get Likes -> dopamine -> Skinner Box working as intended Then against that good content, Facebook shows its ads That's how it makes money * It needs GOOD content i.e. content that spreads content that gets people to keep coming back again and again and again content that gets people excited Twain said -> A Lie has traveled around the world twice by the time the truth has put its pants on * Facebook would never work if it became very efficient at weeding out lies, gossip, politically extreme content, misinformation * Why does everybody start off with assumptions A) Do we really think people want the boring truth? B) Do we really think people who believe something want that belief to be destroyed and replaced with something else? C) Does Facebook have any desire to 'fix' things? They have internal testing. Pretty much 100% sure it would show what happens if they 'fixed misinformation' D) Do people want Facebook to 'fix' things I don't see anyone complaining when Obama campaign was using Facebook to win elections Now Trump is using Facebook to win elections so suddenly Facebook is the target of everyone in tech Why a double standard? If a platform can be used to manipulate and sway people, is that dangerous only if it is used to sway people in a direction you don't like? shouldn't it be considered wrong to manipulate and sway people in ANY direction? * Facebook is basically a 'Appeal to People's Base Instincts' Engine A skinner box Everyone believes the nonsense that it is a 'social utility' or a 'social network' It's not It's a skinner box. Just observe how the normal people use it Not tech people Find some teenagers and see how they use it. Some people in their 20s. Some in their 30s apart from the really old people (60+) who use it as a sort of communication site, everyone else is using it for really 'bottom of the barrel' stuff - stalking their exes - checking on gossip - chasing likes (external validation) - showing off - pretending their life is better than it is