Is Facebook as we know it going to change?

[phenomlab]

More of a discussion topic. Looking to engage thoughts here particularly around this snippet taken from SKY News

Seeing as we’re a technology community that covers literally everything with a plug (and without) - one of those categories is privacy, I wanted to start a discussion around this topic, and to get an idea of view and opinion.

[phenomlab]

My personal thoughts here are that nothing will change - unless US congress or the law itself forces it to. Facebook seems to be the Golden Child that can slither out of anything - including evading a huge GDPR fine on the back of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, numerous other breaches of information, the spread of FUD and misinformation in relation to COVID-19.

The list is endless… I’d personally worship the day Facebook was shut down as I literally despise the platform to be honest and nothing would please me more.

[gotwf]

@phenomlab Well, congress will present some theater for the sheeple but ultimately nothing will change because the NSA is addicted to their data streams. National Security issue. Hence they will get a pass. Until, maybe the EU gives 'em a good spanking. See Snowden docs.

Facebook paid billions extra to the FTC to spare Zuckerberg in data suit

Facebook conditioned its $5 billion payment to the Federal Trade Commission to resolve the Cambridge Analytica data leak probe on the agency dropping plans to sue Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg individually, shareholders allege in a lawsuit.

In suits made public Tuesday, two groups of shareholders claimed that members of Facebook’s board allowed the company to overpay on its fine in order to protect Zuckerberg, the company’s founder and largest shareholder. The complaints, which cite internal discussions among Facebook’s board members, were filed in Delaware Court of Chancery last month.

“Zuckerberg, Sandberg, and other Facebook directors agreed to authorize a multi-billion settlement with the FTC as an express quid pro quo to protect Zuckerberg from being named in the FTC’s complaint, made subject to personal liability, or even required to sit for a deposition,” one of the suits alleged.

… The Senate Commerce Committee said last week that it was opening a probe into how the company downplayed its own research on how Facebook’s photo-sharing app Instagram worsens mental health and body image issues for teens.

Mark Zuckerberg: The epitome of evil incarnate. For sure a sociopath extraordinaire but that feels like the understatement of the millennia…

Congress and our courts have a tall wall to clear to declare FB a monopoly. Blah, blah, blah retoric aside, maybe, just maybe they should interview the competition: small, independent forum operators!

My forums are dead. All moved to FB. They presently exist only for “historical value” and that I’d feel like I’d betrayed those to made a good effort at quality content, as opposed to the ubiquitous Facefarts" and usual drivel hosted, and encouruaged, by Zuckerberg, et.al. Cuz let us not forget about Peter Thiel.

Heh, and you have not even begun to push my buttons…

[phenomlab]

@gotwf some great references here and I fully agree. There is little to no chance that Facebook w will be bought to account over any of the points raised in the hearing today, or any day thereafter. The bottom line is that they class themselves as untouchable - and given the poor stance from lawmakers, this would seem to ring true.

It’s a well known fact Facebook’s lawyers got Zuckerberg off the hook with a huge financial settlement when it came to Cambridge Analytica - how else does a company that size avoid paying for what should have arguably been the largest fine on record in terms of GDPR data breaches.

As for Zuckerberg, he doesn’t have the nickname of Tefal for nothing.

[gotwf]

A decent overview/summary of today’s Senate theater for those who missed the live stream:

Whistleblower to Senate: Don’t trust Facebook

[JAC]

@gotwf said in Is Facebook as we know it going to change?:

Facebook paid billions extra to the FTC to spare Zuckerberg in data suit

[JAC]

Apologies for not giving my thoughts, clearly not as technical as you both are, but that’s the line that really stood out for me, it doesn’t mean a lot but it is of course shocking.

[gotwf]

@jac said in Is Facebook as we know it going to change?:

Apologies for not giving my thoughts, clearly not as technical as you both are, but that’s the line that really stood out for me, it doesn’t mean a lot but it is of course shocking.

In case you missed it: Netflix Documentary on the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica Scandal:

The Great Hack

[JAC]

@gotwf said in Is Facebook as we know it going to change?:

Facebook/Cambridge Analytica

I’ve not missed the whole saga around it, I just remember at the time hearing it on the news and thinking “oh it’s Facebook again” and turning off to be honest.

Thanks mate, I’ll try give that a watch probably over the weekend .

[phenomlab]

I stumbled on this earlier and thought I’d share it here as to compliment this discussion. Clearly a case of David and Goliath here, with Facebook certainly playing the part of coming across as bullying

[gotwf]

@phenomlab Meh… anyone else hearing voices inside of their heads?..

[phenomlab]

@gotwf aside from the bullying tactics, you’d think they (Facebook) could have come up with something more creative than “Meta”…

[JAC]

@phenomlab said in Is Facebook as we know it going to change?:

I stumbled on this earlier and thought I’d share it here as to compliment this discussion. Clearly a case of David and Goliath here, with Facebook certainly playing the part of coming across as bullying

Facebook throwing their weight around I see.

[phenomlab]

@jac As is usual, yes.

[JAC]

@phenomlab to some it is a diary and a way of life now. To me it’s just a simple way to keep in touch with family, but I hardly ever use it and wish I never had!

[phenomlab]

@jac You know what - I’ve NEVER used it. I only subscribed once to see what all the fuss was about, that lasted no more than 12 minutes before I deleted the account.

[JAC]

@phenomlab It’s the same for me really I had an account years ago and then deleted it, only to get a new one years later to keep in touch with family. Even now I very hardly log on.

It’s just a glorified diary for people to put all their crap on.

[phenomlab]

@jac Yeah, exactly. I really can’t see any point to a platform where you feel compelled to post pictures of your dinner or selfies that make you look like a fish

[JAC]

@phenomlab absolutely, my neighbor posts her life on there. I hate it.

[phenomlab]

@jac I have the same with family members - even down to holiday dates and whey they are going. Might as well just put a sign above the door that says “we’re on holiday - feel free to break in”.