4 ms·

I am Sophie Zhang, Facebook whistleblower. Ask me anything

210 points by VieEnCode 5y ago

trhway 5y ago
>“A manager on Strategic Response mused to myself that most of the world outside the West was effectively the Wild West with myself as the part-time dictator – he meant the statement as a compliment, but it illustrated the immense pressures upon me.” >She often felt responsible when civil unrest took hold in places she didn’t prioritize for investigation and action. "Hard to be God".
gramakri 5y ago
https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_whistleblower_at_fb_i_worked_to/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zh... is a less hostile link
- frongpik 5y ago
  Add /.compact at the end to reduce the hostility even further.
- madars 5y ago
  Can recommend Old Reddit Redirect -- https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirect/dneaehbmnbhcippjikoajpoabadpodje https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirec... (minimal permissions and background.js is trivial to inspect)
  - throwaway39912 5y ago
    For redirection, you can also use 'HTTPS Everywhere' add-on. It's by EFF so it's trusted. Here's how: https://teddit.net/r/privacy/comments/hpy82f/redirect_twitterinstagramyoutube_to/ https://teddit.net/r/privacy/comments/hpy82f/redirect_twitte...
- m463 5y ago
  https://teddit.net/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_whistleblower_at_fb_i_worked_to/ https://teddit.net/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_... much less hostile link
- ketamine__ 5y ago
  Could someone post an amp link as well? Thanks.
  - throwaway39912 5y ago
    Here you go https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/05/a-report-from-the-amp-advisory-committee-meeting/ https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/05/a-report-from-the-amp-advis... https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/googles-amp-canonical-web-and-importance-web-standards-0 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/googles-amp-canonical-... /s
flowerlad 5y ago
This shows how powerful social networks have become, and how that power is harming society. Regulation and supervision by independent entities is one solution.
golemiprague 5y ago
She tries to evade questions about censorship based on politics claiming she just deals with problems of inauthenticity, basically the issue of fake accounts trying to push some agenda, whether the agenda is right or "fake". But it is a bit hypocritical to disconnect the two, when you censor political opinions you are doing exactly the same thing only from the opposite side, you basically sqew the real map of political opinions. She wants Facebook to both censor and fight fake accounts, basically controlling the discourse from any possible direction. In some way facebook tries to be more linient and let different forces balance itself while she wants to be the ultimate commissar of who can push their agenda and who can't.
- lefstathiou 5y ago
  I agree. Power corrupts. No one is immune.
- alisonkisk 5y ago
  She wants Facebook, not herself, to only allow pushing agenda via democratic human votes... and paid promotions.
rediguanayum 5y ago
Sophie Zhang mentioned that there was a Guardian article where she publicly blows the whistle on Facebook management (and lack) of inauthentically published information. This appears to be that article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-fake-engagement-whistleblower-sophie-zhang https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-... FWIW I'm sad that this thread is full of trolling, negative comments. I for one am glad that Sophie took a stand to do right for society and the world in the capacity that she had in Facebook. A very small silver lining, is that her work is an example of abuses on social networks being fought successfully, if given resources. And perhaps her Guardian piece will provide leverage to get those resources.

210 points by VieEnCode 5y ago

>“A manager on Strategic Response mused to myself that most of the world outside the West was effectively the Wild West with myself as the part-time dictator – he meant the statement as a compliment, but it illustrated the immense pressures upon me.” >She often felt responsible when civil unrest took hold in places she didn’t prioritize for investigation and action. "Hard to be God".

gramakri 5y ago

https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_whistleblower_at_fb_i_worked_to/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zh... is a less hostile link

frongpik 5y ago
Add /.compact at the end to reduce the hostility even further.
madars 5y ago
Can recommend Old Reddit Redirect -- https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirect/dneaehbmnbhcippjikoajpoabadpodje https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirec... (minimal permissions and background.js is trivial to inspect)
- throwaway39912 5y ago
  For redirection, you can also use 'HTTPS Everywhere' add-on. It's by EFF so it's trusted. Here's how: https://teddit.net/r/privacy/comments/hpy82f/redirect_twitterinstagramyoutube_to/ https://teddit.net/r/privacy/comments/hpy82f/redirect_twitte...
m463 5y ago
https://teddit.net/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_whistleblower_at_fb_i_worked_to/ https://teddit.net/r/IAmA/comments/mqw86u/i_am_sophie_zhang_... much less hostile link
ketamine__ 5y ago
Could someone post an amp link as well? Thanks.
- throwaway39912 5y ago
  Here you go https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/05/a-report-from-the-amp-advisory-committee-meeting/ https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/05/a-report-from-the-amp-advis... https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/googles-amp-canonical-web-and-importance-web-standards-0 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/googles-amp-canonical-... /s

flowerlad 5y ago

This shows how powerful social networks have become, and how that power is harming society. Regulation and supervision by independent entities is one solution.

golemiprague 5y ago

She tries to evade questions about censorship based on politics claiming she just deals with problems of inauthenticity, basically the issue of fake accounts trying to push some agenda, whether the agenda is right or "fake". But it is a bit hypocritical to disconnect the two, when you censor political opinions you are doing exactly the same thing only from the opposite side, you basically sqew the real map of political opinions. She wants Facebook to both censor and fight fake accounts, basically controlling the discourse from any possible direction. In some way facebook tries to be more linient and let different forces balance itself while she wants to be the ultimate commissar of who can push their agenda and who can't.

lefstathiou 5y ago
I agree. Power corrupts. No one is immune.
alisonkisk 5y ago
She wants Facebook, not herself, to only allow pushing agenda via democratic human votes... and paid promotions.

rediguanayum 5y ago

Sophie Zhang mentioned that there was a Guardian article where she publicly blows the whistle on Facebook management (and lack) of inauthentically published information. This appears to be that article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-fake-engagement-whistleblower-sophie-zhang https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-... FWIW I'm sad that this thread is full of trolling, negative comments. I for one am glad that Sophie took a stand to do right for society and the world in the capacity that she had in Facebook. A very small silver lining, is that her work is an example of abuses on social networks being fought successfully, if given resources. And perhaps her Guardian piece will provide leverage to get those resources.