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Facebook is way more harmful than TikTok. TikTok has never caused a genocide, but Facebook has [1]. In October 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product
by breadwinner 2y ago
Facebook is way more harmful than TikTok. TikTok has never caused a genocide, but Facebook has [1].
In October 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, came forward as a whistleblower, and revealed that Facebook consistently prioritized profit over user safety and public good. She stated that internal documents showed the company was aware of its platforms being used to spread hate, misinformation, and violence but chose to hide this evidence to maintain user engagement and revenue. She asserted that Facebook's algorithms favored content that generated anger and division, which in turn increased user engagement.
The revelations forced Facebook to clean up its act — and lose revenue in the process — but now Zuckerberg is going back to inciting genocides for profit.
Facebook is the app we should be banning.
[1] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/myanmar-facebooks-systems-promoted-violence-against-rohingya-meta-owes-reparations-new-report/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/myanmar-faceb...
- lazystar 2y agoIt's not a mutually exclusive issue, so the conclusion of your argument is confusing.
- breadwinner 2y agoIf you're saying just because Facebook is harmful doesn't mean TikTok can't also be harmful then I agree. But one app has already caused a genocide, the other hasn't. So why are we only talking about TikTok as if the other social media apps are safe?
- SpicyLemonZest 2y agoIt seems extraordinarily hard to argue that Facebook caused the Rohingya genocide without accepting that TikTok is at least complicit in the Uyghur genocide. (I'm personally skeptical of the argument in both cases.)
- breadwinner 2y agoTikTok has not been accused of aiding in the genocide of Uyghurs. Repressing their voice, maybe. Genocide, no.
- lazystar 2y agoYou made that statement with a high level of confidence. What data do you have to support your stance?
- breadwinner 2y agoGoogle it.
- lazystar 2y agoAnd you just invalidated all of your opinions in all of your comments on this site. Congratulations.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- threeseed 2y agoYour article doesn't show that Facebook started a genocide. And if this was happening today there is nothing to indicate that TikTok, Facebook, Youtube, X etc wouldn't all recommend similar related content.
- breadwinner 2y agoFacebook's role in the genocide is well known [1]. Following its entry into Myanmar, Facebook became the primary means of communication for many users. However, the platform was poorly staffed, lacking adequate monitoring for local languages. This allowed a systematic campaign of anti-Rohingya propaganda to flourish, primarily orchestrated by members of the Myanmar military. They created fake accounts and pages to disseminate hateful content that incited violence, leading to murders, rapes, and mass displacements of Rohingya people. Investigations revealed that Facebook's algorithms played a significant role in amplifying harmful content. Amnesty International reported that these algorithms "proactively amplified" anti-Rohingya messages, effectively turning the platform into a tool for hate speech and incitement to violence. The U.N. also noted that Facebook was a "useful instrument" for vilifying the Rohingya, contributing to real-world violence during the military's campaign in 2017. [1] https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-seminar-media-and-diplomacy/blog/road-hell-paved-good-intentions-role-facebook-fuelling-ethnic-violence https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-semin...