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]'s growth as an internet social networking site has met criticism, on a range of issues including the Privacy of users and un-moderated content effecting advertising. | |||
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] (and parent company ]) has been the subject of criticism and legal action since it was founded in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-04 |title=Meta and Mark Zuckerberg must not be allowed to shape the next era of humanity |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/04/mark-zuckerberg-meta-facebook-ai-future-accountability |access-date=2024-02-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Criticisms include the outsize influence Facebook has on the lives and health of its users and employees, as well as Facebook's influence on the way media, specifically news, is reported and distributed. Notable issues include ], such as use of a widespread ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Geoff |last=Duncan |title=Open letter urges Facebook to strengthen privacy |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/open-letter-urges-facebook-to-strengthen-privacy/ |website=] |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ian |last=Paul |title=Advocacy Groups Ask Facebook for More Privacy Changes |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/199099/facebook_privacy_fixes.html |website=] |publisher=] |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> possible indefinite records of user information,<ref>{{cite web |first=Maria |last=Aspen |title=How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook? Just Try Breaking Free |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html |website=] |date=February 11, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> automatic ] software,<ref>{{cite web |first=Sebastian |last=Anthony |title=Facebook's facial recognition software is now as accurate as the human brain, but what now? |url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/178777-facebooks-facial-recognition-software-is-now-as-accurate-as-the-human-brain-but-what-now |website=] |publisher=] |date=March 19, 2014 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Liz |last=Gannes |title=Facebook facial recognition prompts EU privacy probe |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-facial-recognition-prompts-eu-privacy-probe/ |publisher=] |date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> and its role in the workplace, including employer-employee account disclosure.<ref>{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Friedman |title=Bill to ban companies from asking about job candidates' Facebook accounts is headed to governor |url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/bill_to_ban_companies_from_req.html |website=] |publisher=] |date=March 21, 2013 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> The use of Facebook can have negative psychological and physiological effects<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stangl |first1=Fabian J. |last2=Riedl |first2=René |last3=Kiemeswenger |first3=Roman |last4=Montag |first4=Christian |title=Negative psychological and physiological effects of social networking site use: The example of Facebook |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |date=2023 |language=English |volume=14 |pages=1141663 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141663 |pmid=37599719 |pmc=10435997 |issn=1664-1078 |doi-access=free}}</ref> that include feelings of ],<ref name="Seeker 2-10-2010">{{cite web |title=How Facebook Breeds Jealousy |url=https://www.seeker.com/how-facebook-breeds-jealousy-1765020296.html |website=] |publisher=] |date=February 10, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref name="CNET 8-11-2009">{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Matyszczyk |title=Study: Facebook makes lovers jealous |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/study-facebook-makes-lovers-jealous/ |publisher=] |date=August 11, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Chenda |last=Ngak |title=Facebook may cause stress, study says |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-may-cause-stress-study-says/ |work=] |date=November 27, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Dave |last=Smith |title=Quitting Facebook will make you happier and less stressed, study says |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/quitting-facebook-will-make-you-happier-and-less-stressed-study-2015-11 |website=] |publisher=] |date=November 13, 2015 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> lack of ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael J. |last=Bugeja |title=Facing the Facebook |url=http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220193743/http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html |website=] |date=January 23, 2006 |archive-date=February 20, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> and social media addiction that in some cases is comparable to ].<ref>{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=Hough |title=Student 'addiction' to technology 'similar to drug cravings', study finds |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html |website=] |date=April 8, 2011 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Facebook and Twitter 'more addictive than tobacco and alcohol' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216152536/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2015 |website=] |date=February 1, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> | |||
Facebook's operations have also received coverage. The company's electricity usage,<ref>{{cite web |first=Robin |last=Wauters |title=Greenpeace Slams Zuckerberg For Making Facebook A 'So Coal Network' (Video) |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/16/greenpeace-slams-zuckerberg-for-making-facebook-a-so-coal-network-video/ |website=] |publisher=] |date=September 16, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Rupert |last=Neate |title=Facebook paid £2.9m tax on £840m profits made outside US, figures show |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/23/facebook-tax-profits-outside-us |website=] |date=December 23, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref name="Grinberg">{{cite web |first=Emanuella |last=Grinberg |title=Facebook 'real name' policy stirs questions around identity |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy |publisher=] |date=September 18, 2014 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Vidhi |last=Doshi |title=Facebook under fire for 'censoring' Kashmir-related posts and accounts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/19/facebook-under-fire-censoring-kashmir-posts-accounts |website=] |date=July 19, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Arrington |author-link=Michael Arrington |title=Is Facebook Really Censoring Search When It Suits Them? |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/is-facebook-really-censoring-search-when-it-suits-them/ |website=] |publisher=] |date=November 22, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Julia Carrie |author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |title=The Cambridge Analytica scandal changed the world – but it didn't change Facebook |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/17/the-cambridge-analytica-scandal-changed-the-world-but-it-didnt-change-facebook |access-date=May 2, 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=March 18, 2019}}</ref> and its involvement in the United States ] and ] have been highlighted by the media and by critics.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Glenn |last1=Greenwald |first2=Ewen |last2=MacAskill |title=NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data |website=] |date=June 7, 2013 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cadwalladr |first1=Carole |last2=Graham-Harrison |first2=Emma |title=How Cambridge Analytica turned Facebook 'likes' into a lucrative political tool |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/17/facebook-cambridge-analytica-kogan-data-algorithm |access-date=2022-08-26 |work=] |date=2018-03-17}}</ref> Facebook has come under scrutiny for 'ignoring' or shirking its responsibility for the content posted on its platform, including ] and intellectual property infringement,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/7/9114149/facebook-freebooting-video-copyright-infringement|title=Why Facebook's video theft problem can't last|last=Setalvad|first=Ariha|date=August 7, 2015|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39272261|title=Facebook, Twitter and Google grilled by MPs over hate speech|date=March 14, 2017|website=]|publisher=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/15/9329119/facebook-germany-hate-speech-xenophobia-migrant-refugee|title=Facebook will work with Germany to combat anti-refugee hate speech|last=Toor|first=Amar|date=September 15, 2015|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> incitement of rape,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8829165/Cyber-anarchists-blamed-for-unleashing-a-series-of-Facebook-rape-pages.html|title=Cyber anarchists blamed for unleashing a series of Facebook 'rape pages'|last=Sherwell|first=Philip|date=October 16, 2011|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> violence against minorities,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59558090|title=Rohingya sue Facebook for $150bn over Myanmar hate speech|website=BBC News|date=7 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Facebook Is Collaborating With the Israeli Government to Determine What Should Be Censored|author=]|website=]|date=12 September 2016|url=https://theintercept.com/2016/09/12/facebook-is-collaborating-with-the-israeli-government-to-determine-what-should-be-censored/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/19/technology/israeli-clashes-pro-violence-groups-whatsapp.html|title=Mob Violence Against Palestinians in Israel Is Fueled by Groups on WhatsApp|website=The New York Times|author=Sheera Frenkel|date=19 May 2021}}</ref> terrorism,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/20000-israelis-sue-facebook-for-ignoring-palestinian-incitement/|title=20,000 Israelis sue Facebook for ignoring Palestinian incitement|date=October 27, 2015|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-facebooks-zuckerberg-has-blood-of-slain-israeli-teen-on-his-hands/|title=Israel: Facebook's Zuckerberg has blood of slain Israeli teen on his hands|date=July 2, 2016|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/19/technology/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-fake-news-election/|title=Zuckerberg: Facebook will develop tools to fight fake news|last=Burke|first=Samuel|date=November 19, 2016|publisher=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/31/hillary-clinton-says-facebook-must-prevent-fake-news-creating/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/31/hillary-clinton-says-facebook-must-prevent-fake-news-creating/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Hillary Clinton says Facebook 'must prevent fake news from creating a new reality'|date=June 1, 2017|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/09/technology/facebook-fake-news/index.html|title=Facebook's global fight against fake news|last=Fiegerman|first=Seth|date=May 9, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ], crimes, and violent incidents ] through its ] functionality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/21/us/facebook-live-gang-rape-chicago|title=Police: At least 40 people watched teen's sexual assault on Facebook Live|last1=Grinberg|first1=Emanuella|last2=Said|first2=Samira|date=March 22, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/chicago-facebook-live-beating|title=Chicago torture: Facebook Live video leads to 4 arrests|last=Grinberg|first=Emanuella|date=January 5, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/facebook-live-killings-ai-artificial-intelligence-not-blame-fatalities-murders-us-steve-stephens-a7706056.html|title=Facebook Live killings: Why the criticism has been harsh|last=Sulleyman|first=Aatif|date=April 27, 2017|website=]|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> | |||
==Lawsuit from ConnectU.com== | |||
{{Ongoing lawsuit|date=August 2007}} | |||
Founder of Facebook.com, Mark Zuckerberg, has been accused of illegally using both the concept and source code from competing site Connectu.com. In ], ] engaged Mark Zuckerberg, then a sophomore at ], to complete the computer programming for their website. Upon joining the ConnectU team, Zuckerberg was given full access to the website source code. Allegedly, Zuckerberg intentionally hampered the development of ConnectU while using code originally intended for ConnectU in the development of Facebook. | |||
The company and its employees have also been subject to litigation cases over the years,<ref>{{cite web |first=Cyrus |last=Farivar |title=Appeals court upholds deal allowing kids' images in Facebook ads |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/appeals-court-upholds-deal-allowing-kids-images-in-facebook-ads/ |website=] |date=January 7, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Dan |last1=Levine |first2=Alexei |last2=Oreskovic |title=Yahoo sues Facebook for infringing 10 patents |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yahoo-facebook-lawsuit-idUSBRE82B18M20120312 |work=] |date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Kurt |last=Wagner |title=Facebook lost its Oculus lawsuit and has to pay $500 million |url=https://www.recode.net/2017/2/1/14476500/facebook-oculus-zenimax-lawsuit-500-million |website=] |date=February 1, 2017 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Rusell |last=Brandom |title=Lawsuit claims Facebook illegally scanned private messages |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/19/11712804/facebook-private-message-scanning-privacy-lawsuit |website=] |date=May 19, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> with its most prominent case concerning allegations that CEO Mark Zuckerberg broke an ] with ], ], and ] to build the ] social network in 2004, instead allegedly opting to ] and code to launch Facebook months before HarvardConnection began.<ref>{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Tryhorn |title=Facebook in court over ownership |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/25/digitalmedia.usnews |website=] |date=July 25, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Scott |last=Michels |title=Facebook Founder Accused of Stealing Idea for Site |url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3391856 |website=] |publisher=] |date=July 20, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Nicholas |last=Carlson |title=How Mark Zuckerberg Hacked Into Rival ConnectU In 2004 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-hacked-connectu-2010-3 |website=] |publisher=] |date=March 5, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> The original lawsuit was eventually settled in 2009, with Facebook paying approximately $20 million in cash and 1.25 million shares.<ref>{{cite web |first=Charles |last=Arthur |title=Facebook paid up to $65m to founder Mark Zuckerberg's ex-classmates |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/feb/12/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-ex-classmates |website=] |date=February 12, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Ryan |last=Singel |title=Court Tells Winklevoss Twins to Quit Their Facebook Whining |url=https://www.wired.com/2011/04/winkelvoss-tossed/ |journal=] |date=April 11, 2011 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> A new lawsuit in 2011 was dismissed.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jonathan |last=Stempel |title=Facebook wins dismissal of second Winklevoss case |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-winklevoss-idUSTRE76L4MR20110722 |work=] |date=July 22, 2011 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> This, alongside another controversy involving Zuckerberg and fellow co-founder and former CFO ], | |||
Since its original filing in ] the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice due to technicality on ], ], but was never ruled on. It was refiled soon thereafter in ] in ], and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for ] ].<ref>http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135041-c,webservices/article.html</ref> Facebook asked the district court to dismiss the case. The attorneys representing Facebook referred to the allegations as "broad brush", "false" and that they are unsubstantiated with evidence.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6914843.stm |title=Facebook site faces fraud claim |accessdate=2007-07-25 |format=HTML |work=BBC News }}</ref> | |||
was further explored in the 2010 American biographical drama film ]. Some critics point to problems which they say will result in the demise of Facebook. Facebook has been banned by several governments for various reasons, including ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Khaled Yacoub |last=Oweis |title=Syria blocks Facebook in Internet crackdown |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-facebook-idUSOWE37285020071123 |work=] |date=November 23, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Robin |last=Wauters |title=China Blocks Access To Twitter, Facebook After Riots |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/07/china-blocks-access-to-twitter-facebook-after-riots/ |website=] |publisher=] |date=July 7, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Iranian government blocks Facebook access |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/24/facebook-banned-iran |website=] |date=May 24, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> and ]. | |||
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== Privacy concerns == | |||
There have been some concerns expressed regarding the use of Facebook as a means of surveillance and ]. Theories have been written about the possible misuse of Facebook<ref name=cgcs>{{cite web | last =Smith | first =Josh | year =2005 | url =http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t34949.html | title =Big Brothers, Big Facebook: Your Orwellian Community | publisher =The Color of Infinity | accessdate =2006-04-03}} (mirrored on Common Ground Common Sense Forums)</ref> and privacy proponents have criticised the site's current privacy agreement.<ref name=privacypolicy /> According to the policy, ''"We may use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services and other users of Facebook, to supplement your profile."'' However, some features—such as ] away-message harvesting and campus newspaper monitoring—have been dropped and Facebook has since responded to the concerns. Facebook has assured worried users the next ] will not include the clause about information collection and has denied any data mining is being done "for the ] or any other group."<ref name=jacobmorse>{{cite web | last =Morse | first =Jacob | year =2006 | url =http://web.archive.org/web/20060905224202/jacobmorse.com/2006/01/facebook-responds/ | title =Facebook Responds | publisher =Cogito | accessdate =2006-04-03}}</ref> However, the possibility of data mining by private individuals unaffiliated with Facebook remains open, as evidenced by the fact that two ] students were able to download, using an automated script, over 70,000 Facebook profiles from four schools (MIT, ], the ], and Harvard) as part of a research project on Facebook privacy published on ], ].<ref name=jonessoltren>{{cite paper | author=Jones, Harvey, & José Hiram Soltren | title=Facebook: Threats to Privacy | date=2005 | url=http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/6095/student-papers/fall05-papers/facebook.pdf}} (])</ref> | |||
== Censorship == | |||
Another clause that some users are critical of reserves the right to sell users' data to private companies, stating ''"We may share your information with third parties, including responsible companies with which we have a relationship."'' This concern has also been addressed by spokesman ] who said "Simply put, we have never provided our users' information to third party companies, nor do we intend to."<ref name=informer>{{cite news | first=Chris | last=Peterson | url=http://www.vainformer.com/new_ipb/index.php?showtopic=177 | title=Who's Reading Your Facebook? | publisher=The Virginia Informer | date=]}}</ref> It is unclear if Facebook plans to remove that clause as well. | |||
{{Main|Censorship by Facebook}}While Facebook operates transparent policies around certain types of content moderation—such as the removing of hateful speech and images which contain sex or violence—the company has been criticized for selectively censoring information in nontransparent ways. Some examples of this include: | |||
=== Censorship of criticism of Facebook === | |||
Third party applications have access to almost all user information and "Facebook does not screen or approve Platform Developers and cannot control how such Platform Developers use any personal information." <ref name=privacypolicy>{{cite web| url=http://www.facebook.com/policy.php| title=Facebook Privacy Policy| date=]| accessdate=2007-08-12}}</ref> | |||
Newspapers regularly report stories of users who claim they've been censored on Facebook for being critical of Facebook itself, with their posts removed or made less visible. Examples include ] in 2019<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Makena |date=2019-03-11 |title=Facebook proves Elizabeth Warren's point by deleting her ads about breaking up Facebook |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/11/18260857/facebook-senator-elizabeth-warren-campaign-ads-removal-tech-break-up-regulation |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> and Rotem Shtarkman in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Is Facebook Censoring Posts Critical of the Social Media Giant? |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-is-facebook-censoring-posts-critical-of-the-social-media-giant-1.5427643 |access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref> | |||
In the context of media reports<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-26 |title=Facebook moderators tell of strict scrutiny and PTSD symptoms |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/26/facebook-moderators-tell-of-strict-scrutiny-and-ptsd-symptoms |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> and lawsuits<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-04 |title=Ex-Facebook worker claims disturbing content led to PTSD |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/dec/04/ex-facebook-worker-claims-disturbing-content-led-to-ptsd |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> from people formerly working on Facebook ], a former Facebook moderator (Chris Gray) has claimed that specific rules existed to monitor and sometimes target posts about Facebook which are anti-Facebook or criticize Facebook for some action, for instance by matching the keywords "Facebook" or "DeleteFacebook".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nycyk |first=Michael |url=https://www.academia.edu/43676571 |title=Facebook: Exploring the Social Network and its Challenges |date=2020-01-01}}</ref> | |||
In August 2007 the code used to dynamically generate Facebook's home and search page as visitors browse the site was accidentally made public, according to leading internet news sites<ref name=facebooksourcecodepublished2>{{cite news | first=Harrison | last=Hoffman | url=http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9758702-7.html | title=Facebook's source code goes public | publisher=CNET News.com | date=]}}</ref> <ref name=facebooksourcecodepublished3>{{cite news | first=Jonathan | last=Richards | url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293115,00.html | title=Facebook Source Code Leaked Onto Internet | publisher=FOX | date=]}}</ref>. A configuration problem on a Facebook server caused the PHP code to be displayed instead of the web page the code should have created, raising concerns about how secure private data on the site was. A visitor to the site copied, published and later removed the code from his web forum, claiming he had been served legal notice by Facebook<ref name=facebooksourcecodepublished4>{{cite news | url=http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/6024 | title= Facebook's PHP leak SNAFU | publisher=Computer World | date=]}}</ref>. Facebook's response was quoted by the site that broke the story<ref name=facebooksourcecodepublished1>{{cite news | first=Nik | last=Cubrilovic | url=http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/11/facebook-source-code-leaked/ | title=Facebook Source Code Leaked | publisher=TechCrunch | date=]}}</ref> | |||
{{cquote|A small fraction of the code that displays Facebook web pages was exposed to a small number of users due to a single misconfigured web server that was fixed immediately. It was not a security breach and did not compromise user data in any way. Because the code that was released only powers the Facebook user interface, it offers no useful insight into the inner workings of Facebook. The reprinting of this code violates several laws and we ask that people not distribute it further.}} | |||
Facebook's search function has been accused of preventing users from searching for certain terms. ] of TechCrunch has written about Facebook's possible censorship of "]" as a search term. ]'s Facebook group for organizing protests against privacy violations could for a time not be found by searching. The very word ''privacy'' was also restricted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Facebook Really Censoring Search When It Suits Them? |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/is-facebook-really-censoring-search-when-it-suits-them/ |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=TechCrunch |date=November 23, 2007 |language=en-US }}</ref> | |||
Another problem is that when signing up, Facebook asks if you want to spread the word about Facebook, prompting you to enter your email's password-- on Facebook's own site. | |||
=== Censorship around global politics === | |||
==Removal of advertising== | |||
In 2015, it was reported that Facebook has a policy to censor anything related to Kurdish opposition against Turkey, such as maps of ], flags of Kurdish armed terrorist groups (such as ] and ]), and criticism of ], the founder of Turkey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=After battling ISIS, Kurds find new foe in Facebook |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2015-10-07/after-battling-isis-kurds-find-new-foe-facebook |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=The World from PRX |date=October 7, 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-03 |title=Facebook's Kurdish problem? |url=http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201308240040-0023000 |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703161954/http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201308240040-0023000 |archive-date=July 3, 2017 }}</ref> | |||
On ], ], British companies including ], ], ], the ], ] and the ] removed their adverts from Facebook. A Virgin Media spokeswoman said "We want to advertise on social networks but we have to protect our brand". The companies found that their services were being advertised on pages of the ], a far-right political party in the UK. ] Age magazine was first to alert the companies that their ads were coming up on BNP's Facebook page. The AA also pulled its advertising from ] when a ] documentary showed that videos of school children fighting were available on that site. <ref></ref> | |||
In 2016, Facebook banned and also removed content regarding the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-19 |title=Facebook under fire for 'censoring' Kashmir-related posts and accounts |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/19/facebook-under-fire-censoring-kashmir-posts-accounts |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> | |||
==Breastfeeding photos suppressed, accounts cancelled, alleged Terms of Use violations== | |||
On ], ], the '']''<ref></ref> reported that Facebook had begun removing photos uploaded by mothers of themselves breastfeeding their babies, and also cancelling their Facebook accounts. While claiming that these photos violate their decency code by showing an exposed breast, even when the baby covered the nipple, Facebook took several days to respond to calls to deactivate a paid advertisement for a dating service that used a photo of a topless model. | |||
During a podcast, ] admitted that Facebook suppressed all the coverage of ]'s son's ] during the ] due to a general request from the FBI.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg admits Facebook censored Hunter Biden laptop story during 2020 U. S. elections The Hindu Net Desk |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/mark-zuckerberg-admits-facebook-censored-hunter-biden-laptop-story-during-2020-u-s-elections/article65815040.ece?homepage=true |access-date=2022-08-26 |work=] |date=2022-08-26}}</ref> The censored news claimed that the son of Joe Biden, who was vice-president in Obama's administration, used his father's influence to fix a deal with a Ukrainian businessman. | |||
==Termination of accounts after adding 'too many' friends== | |||
In addition, Facebook is so concerned about the misuse of the site for data mining that adding too many friends too quickly can result in a permanently disabled account even if done by a real person.<ref>Personal e-mail from customer service representative Theodore to ], August 31, 2007.</ref> They respond only with form letters and the receptionists refuse to pass along phone calls regarding this.<ref>e-mail to user, October 18 2007, http://coolug.livejournal.com/68749.html</ref> They insist that Facebook is for staying in touch with friends you already have, not making new friends, even those who are friends with people you know in real life. | |||
==== Censorship in line with US foreign policy ==== | |||
== Account terminations == | |||
In 2021, Facebook was accused of censoring messages critical of Israel and supportive of Palestine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-26 |title=Facebook under fire as human rights groups claim 'censorship' of pro-Palestine posts |url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/26/pro-palestine-censorship-facebook-instagram |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> During conflict over the ] in 2021, Facebook was accused of deleting hundreds of posts critical of Israel. Senior Facebook officials apologized to the ] for censoring pro-Palestinian voices.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Inside Facebook's Meeting With Palestinian Prime Minister |url=https://time.com/6050350/palestinian-content-facebook/ |access-date=2022-03-21 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref> | |||
Facebook has also faced criticism for not allowing users to permanently terminate their accounts. The website only gives users the option of "deactivating." However, once an account has been deactivated, all the personal information of users remain on Facebook's servers in case in the future they wish to reactivate. The website provides no means for users to permanently delete their account. A student from the University of British Columbia pursued the issue with Facebook. A Facebook representative responded by asking the student to ''"clear his account"'' before the termination process could begin. This included ''"415 wall posts, 126 friends, and 38 groups."'' The student subsequently gave up on terminating his account permanently as the process of deleting every wall post, friend and group on his profile would require 1158 mouse clicks.<ref name=SiaWebsite>{{cite web | first=Siyavash | last=G | url=http://siyavash2005.googlepages.com/facebook | title=Corporate Facebook | publisher=Googlepages | date=]}}</ref> | |||
In October 2021, a secret blacklist of "]" maintained by Facebook was discovered by '']'', which revealed censorship in the ] region was stricter than in USA. Critics and scholars have argued the blacklist and the guideline stifles free discussion, as well as enforcing an uneven enforcement of the rules.<ref>{{Citation |title=Facebook Praise, Support and Representation Moderation Guidelines (Reproduced Snapshot) |date=2021-10-12 |url=https://theintercept.com/document/2021/10/12/facebook-praise-support-and-representation-moderation-guidelines-reproduced-snapshot/ |publisher=The Intercept |language=en-US |access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Biddle |first=Sam |date=2021-10-12 |title=Revealed: Facebook's Secret Blacklist of "Dangerous Individuals and Organizations" |url=https://theintercept.com/2021/10/12/facebook-secret-blacklist-dangerous/ |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
== News Feed and Mini-Feed == | |||
] | |||
On ], ], Facebook introduced two new controversial features called "News Feed" and "Mini-Feed". The first of the new features, News Feed, appears on every Facebook member's ], displaying recent Facebook activities of a member's friends. The second feature, Mini-Feed, keeps a log of similar events on each member's profile page.<ref name=forbes-rosmarin>{{cite web | last =Rosmarin | first =Rachel | year =2006 | url =http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/09/01/facebook-myspace-internet_cx_rr_0905facebook.html | title =Facebook's Makeover | publisher =] | accessdate =2006-09-05}}</ref> Members can manually delete items from their Mini-Feeds if they wish to do so, and through privacy settings are able to control what is actually published in their respective Mini-Feeds. | |||
== Privacy issues == | |||
Some Facebook members still feel that the ability to ] of the entire News Feed and Mini-Feed system is necessary, as evidenced by a statement from the ''Students Against Facebook News Feed'' group, which peaked at over 740,000 members.<ref name=nbc>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Facebook CEO: 'We Really Messed This One Up' | date=] | publisher= | url =http://www.nbc11.com/news/9805842/detail.html | work =NBC11.com | pages = | accessdate = 2007-02-21 | language = }}</ref> However, according to recent news articles, members have widely regarded the additional privacy options as an acceptable compromise.<ref name=jesdanun-ap2>{{cite web | last =Jesdanun | first =Anick | year =2006 | url =http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8K0UAL00.htm | title =Facebook offers new privacy options | publisher =] | accessdate =2006-09-08}}</ref> | |||
{{Main|Privacy concerns with Facebook|Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal}} | |||
Facebook has faced a number of privacy concerns; for instance, in August 2019, it was revealed that the company had enlisted contractors to generate transcripts of users' audio chats. The contractors were tasked with re-transcribing the conversations in order to gauge the accuracy of the automatic transcription tool.<ref name="bloombergreveals">{{cite news|last=Frier|first=Sarah|date=August 13, 2019|title=Facebook Paid Contractors to Transcribe Users' Audio Chats|work=]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-13/facebook-paid-hundreds-of-contractors-to-transcribe-users-audio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 13, 2019|title=Facebook paid hundreds of contractors to transcribe users' audio|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-13/facebook-paid-hundreds-of-contractors-to-transcribe-audio-of-users|access-date=May 8, 2020|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Haselton|first=Todd|date=August 13, 2019|title=Facebook hired people to transcribe voice calls made on Messenger|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/13/facebook-hired-people-to-transcribe-voice-calls-made-on-messenger.html|access-date=May 8, 2020|publisher=CNBC|language=en}}</ref> In part these concerns stem from the company's revenue model that involves selling information about its users, and the loss of privacy this could entail. In addition, employers and other organizations and individuals have been known to use Facebook data for their own purposes. As a result peoples' identities have sometimes been revealed without their permission. In response, pressure groups and governments have increasingly asserted the users' right to privacy and to control their personal data. | |||
Another problem is that the Facebook users may be under the impression that deleting something from one's Mini-Feed deletes it from the News Feed as well. It does not. In fact, there is no way to prevent some forms of updates to one's profile from being broadcast over the News Feed, as Facebook offers only a limited opt-out list. Users unaware of the News Feed function often unintentionally broadcast profile changes. Some information may even be sent over News-Feed without the knowledge of the user. For example, imported notes are put into the News Feed, even though notes can be set up to import automatically. This can automatically associate a user in the News Feed with whoever writes on the blog that they are importing. | |||
== Psychological/sociological effects == | |||
== Concerns of higher education faculty and administrators == | |||
{{See also|Digital media use and mental health|Evolutionary medicine|Evolutionary mismatch|Evolutionary psychiatry|Screen time}} | |||
On ], ], ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' continued an ongoing national debate on social networks with an ] written by Michael Bugeja, director of the ] at ], entitled "Facing the Facebook".<ref name=Bugeja>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html | |||
| title = Facing the Facebook | |||
| accessdate = 2006-10-06 | |||
| last = Bugeja | |||
| first = Michael | |||
| date = ] | |||
| publisher = ] | |||
}}</ref> Bugeja, author of the ] text ''Interpersonal Divide'' (2005), quoted representatives of the ] and colleagues in ] to document the distraction of students using Facebook and other social networks during class and at other venues in the ]. Bugeja followed up on ], ] in ''The Chronicle'' with an article titled "Distractions in the Wireless Classroom,"<ref>{{cite news |last=Bugeja |first=Michael J |title=Distractions in the Wireless Classroom |work=Chronicle Careers |publisher=] |date=2007-01-26 |url=http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/01/2007012601c/careers.html |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> quoting several educators across the country who were banning laptops in the classroom. Similarly, organisations such as the ],<ref name=NACA>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.naca.org/NACA/Events/WorkshopsOtherEvents/OnlineChatFacebook.htm | |||
| title = Facing the Facebook | |||
| accessdate = 2006-10-06 | |||
| author = National Association of Campus Activities | |||
| date = ] | |||
}}</ref> the ],<ref name=AEJC>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.asjmc.org/meetings/facebook_panel.htm | |||
| title = Facing the Facebook: Administrative Issues Involving Social Networks | |||
| accessdate = 2006-10-06 | |||
| author = Association for Education in Journalism and Communication | |||
| date = 2006 | |||
}}</ref> and others have hosted seminars and presentations to discuss ramifications of students' use of Facebook and other social networking systems. The ] Learning Initiative has also released a brief pamphlet entitled "7 Things You Should Know About Facebook" aimed at higher education professionals that "describes what <nowiki></nowiki> is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning".<ref name=EDUCAUSE>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7017 | |||
| title = 7 Things You Should Know About Facebook | |||
| accessdate = 2006-10-06 | |||
| author = EDUCAUSE Learning Institute | |||
| date = 2006 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
In addition to noting with evolutionary biologist ] in the development of ] that most ] are the consequence of ]es between a ] ] of ]ic ] life in ] and contemporary human life in ] ] ] (e.g. ]),<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nesse|first1=Randolph|author-link1=Randolph M. Nesse|last2=Williams|first2=George C.|author-link2=George Christopher Williams|title=Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine|year=1994|page=9|publisher=]|place=New York|isbn=978-0-679-74674-4}}</ref> psychiatrist ] has argued that evolutionary mismatch is an important factor in the development of certain mental disorders.<ref name="Nesse 2005 pp. 904–905">{{cite book|last1=Nesse|first1=Randolph M.|author-link1=Randolph M. Nesse|editor-last=Buss|editor-first=David M.|editor-link=David Buss|title=The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology|chapter=32. Evolutionary Psychology and Mental Health|pages=904–905|year=2005|edition=1st|place=]|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-471-26403-3}}</ref><ref name="Nesse 2016 pp. 1008–1009">{{cite book|last1=Nesse|first1=Randolph M.|author-link1=Randolph M. Nesse|editor-last1=Buss|editor-first1=David M.|editor-link1=David Buss|year=2016|orig-year=2005|title=The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, Volume 2: Integrations|edition=2nd|chapter=43. Evolutionary Psychology and Mental Health|pages=1008–1009|place=]|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-118-75580-8}}</ref><ref name="Nesse 2019 pp. 31–36">{{cite book|last=Nesse|first=Randolph|author-link=Randolph M. Nesse|title=Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry|publisher=]|year=2019|pages=31–36|isbn=978-1-101-98566-3}}</ref> In 1948, 50 percent of U.S. households owned at least one ].<ref>{{cite report|title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1955|year=1955|edition=76|series=]|publisher=]|page=554|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1955/compendia/statab/76ed/1955-05.pdf|access-date=June 29, 2021}}</ref> In 2000, a majority of U.S. households had at least one personal computer and ] the following year.<ref name="auto2">{{cite report|last=File|first=Thom|date=May 2013|title=Computer and Internet Use in the United States|series=Current Population Survey Reports|publisher=]|place=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> In 2002, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported having a mobile phone.<ref name="Tuckel & O'Neill">{{cite report|last1=Tuckel|first1=Peter|last2=O'Neill|first2=Harry|title=Ownership and Usage Patterns of Cell Phones: 2000–2005|year=2005|series=JSM Proceedings, Survey Research Methods Section|place=]|publisher=]|page=4002|url=http://www.asasrms.org/Proceedings/y2005/files/JSM2005-000345.pdf|access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> In September 2007, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported having ] at home.<ref>{{cite news|title=Demographics of Internet and Home Broadband Usage in the United States|publisher=]|date=April 7, 2021|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/#who-has-home-broadband|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref> In January 2013, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported owning a ].<ref name="Pew 4-7-2021">{{cite news|title=Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States|publisher=]|date=April 7, 2021|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref> | |||
== Integration of high school users == | |||
Following the ], ] integration of the high school and college levels, some college users began creating groups critical of the decision.<ref name=crimson2>{{cite news | first=Jillian M | last=Bunting | url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511758 | title=New Facebook Feature Could Out Students | work= | publisher=The Harvard Crimson | date=]}}</ref> Users from opposite branches could only fully interact if they were friends and some separation did remain. The site also released the Limited Profile privacy settings and advised students on how to hide pictures and other features from others. However, some college users felt that the site's former exclusivity had been key to their experience.<ref name=barometer>{{cite news | author=Staff editorial | url=http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/01/440552b337028?in_archive=1 | title=Yeas & Nays | publisher=The Daily Barometer (]) | date=] | accessdate=2006-04-03}}</ref> Some expressed concerns about the ability of unknown persons to create accounts on the high school version (since university addresses are not required) and use them to access the college version; by default, strangers can message and view users' friends through a simple global search. Some made predictions that the site would soon face issues with ], stalkers, or worse, and worried this would result in controversies similar to the ].<ref name=crimson3>{{cite news | first=Adam P | last=Schneider | url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511127 | title=How Much About You Is Out There? | work= | publisher=The Harvard Crimson | date=]}}</ref> | |||
=== Facebook addiction === | |||
Adding to the controversy around opening Facebook to younger students, four high school students at Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute in ], ] were arrested in a Facebook-related protest on ], ]. Earlier that week, five different students had been suspended for posting criticisms about a vice-principal of their school. About a dozen friends of the suspendees had decided to protest in front of the school, but that handful soon grew to over 100 students protesting for ]. Local law enforcement authorities were called, and a scuffle ensued, resulting in the arrest of 4 students.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toronto high school students scuffle with police |publisher=] (registration required for full text) |date=2007-03-23 | url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070323.wTOprotest0323/BNStory/National/home |accessdate=2007-06-19}}</ref> | |||
{{See also|Digital media use and mental health#ADHD|Human multitasking|Media multitasking|Mobile phones and driving safety|Problematic social media use|Texting while driving}} | |||
==Weblinks== | |||
* | |||
The "World Unplugged" study, which was conducted in 2011, claims that for some users quitting social networking sites is comparable to quitting smoking or giving up alcohol.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html |title=Student 'addiction' to technology 'similar to drug cravings', study finds |location=London |first=Andrew |last=Hough |date=April 8, 2011}}</ref> Another study conducted in 2012 by researchers from the ] in the United States found that drugs like alcohol and tobacco could not keep up with social networking sites regarding their level of addictiveness.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202180847/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 2, 2012 |title=Facebook and Twitter 'more addictive than tobacco and alcohol' |location=London |date=February 1, 2012}}</ref> A 2013 study in the journal ''CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking'' found that some users decided to quit social networking sites because they felt they were addicted. In 2014, the site went down for about 30 minutes, prompting several users to call emergency services.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Edwards|first1=Ashton|title=Facebook goes down for 30 minutes, 911 calls pour in|url=http://fox13now.com/2014/08/01/facebook-goes-down-for-30-minutes-911-calls-pour-in/|access-date=August 2, 2016|work=Fox13|date=August 1, 2014}}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count: 1; column-count: 1;"> | |||
In April 2015, the ] published a survey of 1,060 U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 who reported that nearly three-quarters of them either owned or had access to a ], 92 percent went online daily with 24 percent saying they went online "almost constantly".<ref>{{cite news|last=Lenhart|first=Amanda|title=Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015|date=April 9, 2015|publisher=]|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/|access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref> In March 2016, '']'' published a survey of 457 ] Facebook users (following a ] pilot of another 47 post-secondary student Facebook users) at a large university in North America showing that the severity of ADHD symptoms had a ] positive correlation with ] and that impulses to use Facebook while driving were more potent among male users than female users.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Turel|first1=Ofir|last2=Bechara|first2=Antoine|title=Social Networking Site Use While Driving: ADHD and the Mediating Roles of Stress, Self-Esteem and Craving|year=2016|journal=]|volume=7|page=455|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00455|pmid=27065923|pmc=4812103|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
<references/> | |||
</div> | |||
In June 2018, '']'' published a ] of 283 adolescent Facebook users in the ] and ] ] of ] (that replicated previous findings among adult users) showing that adolescents reporting higher ADHD symptoms positively predicted ], persistent negative ] about the ] and that the ] is predetermined and not influenced by present ], and orientation against ], with ADHD symptoms additionally increasing the manifestation of the proposed category of psychological dependence known as "]".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Settanni|first1=Michele|last2=Marengo|first2=Davide|last3=Fabris|first3=Matteo Angelo|last4=Longobardi|first4=Claudio|title=The interplay between ADHD symptoms and time perspective in addictive social media use: A study of adolescent Facebook users|year=2018|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=89|pages=165–170|doi=10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.031|s2cid=149795392|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917310083}}</ref> | |||
In October 2023, court documents in the US alleged Meta of designing its platforms deliberately to develop addiction in children using them. The company knowingly allowed underage users to hold accounts, violating the ]. According to whistleblower ], the company intentionally targets children below the age of 18.<ref name="the guardian Meta designed platforms to get children addicted">{{cite news |last1=Paul |first1=Kari |title=Meta designed platforms to get children addicted, court documents allege |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/27/meta-instagram-facebook-kids-addicted-lawsuit |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=] |date=27 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127192915/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/27/meta-instagram-facebook-kids-addicted-lawsuit |archive-date=27 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Milmo |first1=Dan |last2=Paul |first2=Kari |title=Facebook harms children and is damaging democracy, claims whistleblower |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/05/facebook-harms-children-damaging-democracy-claims-whistleblower |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=] |date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629034801/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/05/facebook-harms-children-damaging-democracy-claims-whistleblower |archive-date=29 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
=== Self-harm and suicide === | |||
{{Main|Social media and suicide|2021 Facebook leak}} | |||
{{blockquote|text=Research shows that people who are feeling suicidal use the internet to search for suicide methods. Websites provide graphic details and information on how to take your own life. This cannot be right. Where this content breaches the policies of internet and social media providers it must be removed.|author=], ]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/26/matt-hancock-facebook-social-media-suicide-self-harm-young-people|title=Health secretary tells social media firms to protect children after girl's death|first=Michael|last=Savage|date=January 26, 2019|access-date=January 30, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref>}} | |||
{{blockquote|I do not think it is going too far to question whether even you, the owners, any longer have any control over content. If that is the case, then children should not be accessing your services at all, and parents should be aware that the idea of any authority overseeing algorithms and content is a mirage.|author=], ]<ref name="longfield-2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jan/30/social-media-urged-to-take-moment-to-reflect-after-girls-death|title=Social media urged to take 'moment to reflect' after girl's death|first=Richard Adams Education|last=editor|date=January 30, 2019|access-date=January 30, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref>}} | |||
In January 2019, both the Health Secretary of the United Kingdom, and the Children's Commissioner for England, urged Facebook and other social media companies to take responsibility for the risk to children posed by content on their platforms related to self-harm and suicide.<ref name="longfield-2019" /> | |||
=== Envy === | |||
{{See also|Bandwagon effect|Conspicuous consumption|Conspicuous leisure|Consumerism|Issues in higher education in the United States#Financial value of degrees|LinkedIn#Research on labor market effects|Overtourism|Social aspects of television#Psychological effects|Tragedy of the commons|Viral marketing}} | |||
Facebook has been criticized for making people ] and unhappy due to the constant exposure to positive yet unrepresentative highlights of their peers. Such highlights include, but are not limited to, journal posts, videos, and photos that depict or reference such positive or otherwise outstanding activities, experiences, and facts. This effect is caused mainly by the fact that most users of Facebook usually only display the positive aspects of their lives while excluding the negative, though it is also strongly connected to ] and the disparities between social groups as Facebook is open to users from all classes of society. Sites such as AddictionInfo.org<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/2171/1/Potential-Facebook-addiction/Page1.html|title=Potential for Facebook addiction and consequences|date=July 15, 2012|access-date=July 15, 2012|archive-date=October 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029103208/http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/2171/1/Potential-Facebook-addiction/Page1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> state that this kind of envy has profound effects on other aspects of life and can lead to severe depression, ], ] and hatred, ], feelings of inferiority and insecurity, ], suicidal tendencies and desires, ], and other issues that can prove very serious. This condition has often been called "Facebook Envy" or "Facebook Depression" by the media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2282620|title=The Anti-Social Network|website=Slate|date=January 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.discovery.com/tech/facebook-breeds-jealousy.html|title=How Facebook Breeds Jealousy|website=Discovery.com|date=February 10, 2010|access-date=February 12, 2011|archive-date=September 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929102225/http://news.discovery.com/tech/facebook-breeds-jealousy.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10307638-71.html|title=Study: Facebook makes lovers jealous|publisher=CNET|date=August 11, 2009|access-date=February 12, 2011|archive-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026091352/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10307638-71.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20431006|title=Jealous much? MySpace, Facebook can spark it|work=NBC News|date=July 31, 2007}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2009/02/post_176.html|title=Facebook Causes Jealousy, Hampers Romance, Study Finds|publisher=University of Guelph|date=February 13, 2007}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/sex-relationships/dating/2010-11-18-facebook-asthma_N.htm|title=Facebook jealousy sparks asthma attacks in dumped boy|website=USA Today|date=November 19, 2010}}</ref> | |||
In 2010, '']'' published research by economists Ralf Caers and Vanessa Castelyns who sent an online questionnaire to 398 and 353 LinkedIn and Facebook users respectively in ] and found that both sites had become tools for ] job applicants for professional occupations as well as additional information about applicants, and that it was being used by recruiters to decide which applicants would receive interviews.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Caers|first1=Ralf|last2=Castelyns|first2=Vanessa|title=LinkedIn and Facebook in Belgium: The Influences and Biases of Social Network Sites in Recruitment and Selection Procedures|year=2011|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=29|issue=4|pages=437–448|doi=10.1177/0894439310386567|s2cid=60557417|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258190136}}</ref> In 2017, sociologist Ofer Sharone conducted interviews with unemployed workers to research the effects of LinkedIn and Facebook as labor market intermediaries and found that ]s (SNS) have had a filtration effect that has little to do with evaluations of merit, and that the SNS filtration effect has exerted new pressures on workers to manage their careers to conform to the logic of the SNS filtration effect.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sharone|first=Ofer|editor-first=Steven|editor-last=Vallas|title=Emerging Conceptions of Work, Management and the Labor Market|chapter=LinkedIn or LinkedOut? How Social Networking Sites are Reshaping the Labor Market|series=Research in the Sociology of Work|year=2017|place=], UK|publisher=]|volume=30|pages=1–31|isbn=978-1-78714-460-6|doi=10.1108/S0277-283320170000030001|url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S0277-283320170000030001/full/html?fullSc=1}}</ref> | |||
A joint study conducted by two German universities demonstrated Facebook envy and found that as many as one out of three people actually feel worse and less satisfied with their lives after visiting the site. Vacation photos were found to be the most common source of feelings of resentment and jealousy. After that, social interaction was the second biggest cause of envy, as Facebook users compare the number of birthday greetings, likes, and comments to those of their friends. Visitors who contributed the least tended to feel the worst. "According to our findings, passive following triggers invidious emotions, with users mainly envying happiness of others, the way others spend their vacations; and socialize", the study states.<ref name="hu-berlin">{{cite web|url=http://warhol.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/~hkrasnova/Ongoing_Research_files/WI%202013%20Final%20Submission%20Krasnova.pdf |date=January 23, 2013 |title=Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users' Life Satisfaction? |author1=Hanna Krasnova |author2=Helena Wenninger |author3=Thomas Widjaja |author4=Peter Buxmann |publisher=11th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, February 27 – March 1, 2013, Leipzig, Germany |access-date=June 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601203643/http://warhol.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/~hkrasnova/Ongoing_Research_files/WI%202013%20Final%20Submission%20Krasnova.pdf |archive-date=June 1, 2014 }}</ref> | |||
A 2013 study by researchers at the ] found that the more people used Facebook, the worse they felt afterwards.<ref>. BBC.co.uk (August 15, 2013). Retrieved September 4, 2013.</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" /> | |||
Narcissistic users who show excessive grandiosity give ] to viewers and cause envy, but as a result, that may cause viewers' loneliness. Viewers sometimes need to terminate relationships with them to avoid this negative emotion. However, this "avoidance" such as "terminate relationships" would be reinforcement and it may lead to loneliness. The cyclical pattern is a vicious circle of loneliness and avoidance coping, the study states.<ref>{{cite journal |date=June 4, 2018 |title=Facebook users' loneliness based on different types of interpersonal relationships: Links to grandiosity and envy |author1=Myung Suh Lim |author2=Junghyun Kim |journal=Information Technology & People |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=646–665 |doi=10.1108/ITP-04-2016-0095 |issn=0959-3845}}</ref> | |||
=== Divorce === | |||
{{See also|Coolidge effect|Online dating service#Social trends and public opinions|Sexual jealousy|Social aspects of television#Psychological effects}} | |||
Social networks, like Facebook, can have a detrimental effect on marriages, with users becoming worried about their spouse's contacts and relations with other people online, leading to marital breakdown and divorce.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331031843/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/business/s/1405762_divorce_cases_get_the_facebook_factor |date=March 31, 2012 }}. – ''MEN Media''. Published January 19, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2012.</ref> According to a 2009 survey in the UK, around 20 percent of divorce petitions included references to Facebook.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112072406/http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/122309-facebooks-other-top-trend-of.html |date=January 12, 2012 }} – ''Network World''. Published December 22, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/12/facebook-blame-divorce-boom/ | publisher=Fox News Channel | title=Facebook to Blame for Divorce Boom | date=April 12, 2010 | access-date=January 3, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415182227/http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/12/facebook-blame-divorce-boom/ | archive-date=April 15, 2010 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref> – MSNBC. Published June 28, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Facebook-flirting-triggers-divorces/articleshow/11322605.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518102851/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-01/uk/30578492_1_divorce-online-flirty-messages-facebook | url-status=live | archive-date=May 18, 2013 | work=] | title=Facebook flirting triggers divorces | date=January 1, 2012}}</ref> Facebook has given us a new platform for interpersonal communication. Researchers proposed that high levels of Facebook use could result in Facebook-related conflict and breakup/divorce.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Clayton|first1=Russell B.|last2=Nagurney|first2=Alexander|last3=Smith|first3=Jessica R.|date=June 7, 2013|title=Cheating, Breakup, and Divorce: Is Facebook Use to Blame?|journal=Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking|volume=16|issue=10|pages=717–720|doi=10.1089/cyber.2012.0424|issn=2152-2715|pmid=23745615}}</ref> Previous studies have shown that romantic relationships can be damaged by excessive Internet use, Facebook jealousy, partner surveillance, ambiguous information, and online portrayal of intimate relationships.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Utz|first1=Sonja|last2=Beukeboom|first2=Camiel J.|date=July 1, 2011|title=The Role of Social Network Sites in Romantic Relationships: Effects on Jealousy and Relationship Happiness|journal=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication|language=en|volume=16|issue=4|pages=511–527|doi=10.1111/j.1083-6101.2011.01552.x|issn=1083-6101|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tokunaga|first=Robert S.|title=Social networking site or social surveillance site? Understanding the use of interpersonal electronic surveillance in romantic relationships|journal=Computers in Human Behavior|language=en|volume=27|issue=2|pages=705–713|doi=10.1016/j.chb.2010.08.014|year=2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Muise|first1=Amy|last2=Christofides|first2=Emily|last3=Desmarais|first3=Serge|date=April 15, 2009|title=More Information than You Ever Wanted: Does Facebook Bring Out the Green-Eyed Monster of Jealousy?|journal=CyberPsychology & Behavior|volume=12|issue=4|pages=441–444|doi=10.1089/cpb.2008.0263|pmid=19366318|s2cid=16219949 |issn=1094-9313}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kerkhof|first1=Peter|last2=Finkenauer|first2=Catrin|last3=Muusses|first3=Linda D.|date=April 1, 2011|title=Relational Consequences of Compulsive Internet Use: A Longitudinal Study Among Newlyweds|journal=Human Communication Research|language=en|volume=37|issue=2|pages=147–173|doi=10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01397.x|issn=1468-2958|hdl=1871/35795|url=https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/2766702/249473.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Papp|first1=Lauren M.|last2=Danielewicz|first2=Jennifer|last3=Cayemberg|first3=Crystal|date=October 11, 2011|title="Are We Facebook Official?" Implications of Dating Partners' Facebook Use and Profiles for Intimate Relationship Satisfaction|journal=Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking|volume=15|issue=2|pages=85–90|doi=10.1089/cyber.2011.0291|pmid=21988733|issn=2152-2715}}</ref> Excessive Internet users reported having greater conflict in their relationships. Their partners feel neglected and there's lower commitment and lower feelings of passion and intimacy in the relationship. According to the article, researchers suspect that Facebook may contribute to an increase in divorce and infidelity rates in the near future due to the amount and ease of accessibility to connect with past partners.<ref name=":0" /> The use of ] can cause feelings of ].<ref name="Seeker 2-10-2010" /><ref name="CNET 8-11-2009" /> | |||
=== Stress === | |||
Research performed by psychologists from ] indicated that Facebook adds ] to users' lives. Causes of stress included fear of missing important social information, fear of offending contacts, discomfort or guilt from rejecting user requests or deleting unwanted contacts or being unfriended or blocked by Facebook friends or other users, the displeasure of having friend requests rejected or ignored, the pressure to be entertaining, criticism or ] from other Facebook users, and having to use appropriate etiquette for different types of friends.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2011/02/16/too-many-facebook-friends-causes-stress|title=Does Facebook Stress You Out?|website=Webpronews.com|date=February 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218023713/http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2011/02/16/too-many-facebook-friends-causes-stress|archive-date=February 18, 2011}}</ref> Many people who started using Facebook for positive purposes or with positive expectations have found that the website has negatively impacted their lives.<ref>Maier, C., Laumer, S., Eckhardt, A., and Weitzel, T. ''Online Social Networks as a Source and Symbol of Stress: An Empirical Analysis'' Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) 2012, Orlando (FL)</ref> | |||
Next to that, the increasing number of messages and social relationships embedded in SNS also increases the amount of social information demanding a reaction from SNS users. Consequently SNS users perceive they are giving too much social support to other SNS friends. This dark side of SNS usage is called 'social overload'. It is caused by the extent of usage, number of friends, subjective social support norms, and type of relationship (online-only vs offline friends) while age has only an indirect effect. The psychological and behavioral consequences of social overload include perceptions of SNS exhaustion, low user satisfaction, and high intentions to reduce or stop using SNS.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Maier | first1 = C. | last2 = Laumer | first2 = S. | last3 = Eckhardt | first3 = A. | last4 = Weitzel | first4 = T. | year = 2014| title = Giving too much Social Support: Social Overload on Social Networking Sites | journal = European Journal of Information Systems | volume = 24| issue = 5| pages = 447–464| doi = 10.1057/ejis.2014.3 | s2cid = 205122288 }}</ref> | |||
=== Narcissism === | |||
{{Main|Digital media use and mental health#NPD|Narcissistic personality disorder|Dark triad|Facebook like button|Microblogging|Reblogging|Selfie|Slacktivism|Virtue signalling}} | |||
{{See also|Fear of missing out|Law of effect|Like button|Mass shootings in the United States#Contributing factors|Objectification|Problematic social media use|Social rejection|Tokenism|White savior}} | |||
In July 2018, a ] published in ''Psychology of Popular Media'' found that ] positively correlated with time spent on social media, frequency of ], number of friends or followers, and frequency of posting ],<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McCain|first1=Jessica L.|last2=Campbell|first2=W. Keith|title=Narcissism and Social Media Use: A Meta-Analytic Review|year=2018|journal=Psychology of Popular Media Culture|volume=7|issue=3|pages=308–327|publisher=]|doi=10.1037/ppm0000137|s2cid=152057114|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305766785|access-date=June 9, 2020}}</ref> while a meta-analysis published in the '']'' in April 2018 found that the positive correlation between grandiose narcissism and ] usage was replicated across platforms (including Facebook).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gnambs|first1=Timo|last2=Appel|first2=Markus|title=Narcissism and Social Networking Behavior: A Meta-Analysis|year=2018|journal=]|volume=86|issue=2|pages=200–212|publisher=]|pmid=28170106|doi=10.1111/jopy.12305}}</ref> In March 2020, the ''Journal of Adult Development'' published a ] of 254 ] Facebook users investigating differences in narcissism and Facebook usage between the age ] born from 1977 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2000 and found that the later born Millennials scored ] higher on both.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brailovskaia|first1=Julia|last2=Bierhoff|first2=Hans-Werner|title=The Narcissistic Millennial Generation: A Study of Personality Traits and Online Behavior on Facebook|year=2020|journal=Journal of Adult Development|volume=27|issue=1|pages=23–35|publisher=]|doi=10.1007/s10804-018-9321-1|s2cid=149564334}}</ref> In June 2020, '']'' published a ] finding a consistent, positive, and significant correlation between grandiose narcissism and the proposed category of ] called "]".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Casale|first1=Silvia|last2=Banchi|first2=Vanessa|title=Narcissism and problematic social media use: A systematic literature review|year=2020|journal=Addictive Behaviors Reports|volume=11|page=100252|publisher=]|doi=10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100252|pmid=32467841|pmc=7244927|doi-access=free}}</ref> Also in 2018, social psychologist ] and ] President ] noted in '']'' that former Facebook president ] stated in a 2017 interview that the ] was consciously designed to ] users receiving likes to feel a ] ] as part of a "] ] ]".<ref name="Lukianoff & Haidt 2018 p. 147">{{cite book|last1=Lukianoff|first1=Greg|author-link1=Greg Lukianoff|last2=Haidt|first2=Jonathan|author-link2=Jonathan Haidt|title=The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure|title-link=The Coddling of the American Mind|year=2018|place=New York|publisher=]|page=147|isbn=978-0-7352-2489-6}}</ref> | |||
"'''Conspicuous compassion'''" is the practice of publicly donating large sums of money to ] to enhance the ] of the donor, and is sometimes described as a type of conspicuous consumption.<ref name="West 2004">{{cite book |last=West |first=Patrick |title=Conspicuous Compassion: Why Sometimes It Really Is Cruel To Be Kind |location=London |publisher=Civitas, Institute for the Study of Civil Society |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-903386-34-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=Robert L.|last1=Payton|first2=Michael P.|last2=Moody|title=Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission|year=2008|isbn=978-0-253-00013-2|page=137|publisher=Indiana University Press }}</ref> Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff argued that ] training on ] has led to a ] and a climate of ] due to fear of ] by ] social media ] with users who are often anonymous and tend to ] as a consequence.<ref name="Lukianoff & Haidt 2018 pp. 71–73">{{cite book|last1=Lukianoff|first1=Greg|author-link1=Greg Lukianoff|last2=Haidt|first2=Jonathan|author-link2=Jonathan Haidt|title=The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure|title-link=The Coddling of the American Mind|year=2018|place=New York|publisher=]|pages=71–73|isbn=978-0-7352-2489-6}}</ref> Citing February 2017 ] survey data showing that critical Facebook postings expressing "indignant disagreement" were twice as likely to receive likes, comments, or shares (along with a similar finding for ] posts published in '']'' in July 2017),<ref>{{cite news|title=Critical posts get more likes, comments, and shares than other posts|publisher=]|date=February 21, 2017|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2017/02/23/partisan-conflict-and-congressional-outreach/pdl-02-23-17_antipathy-new-00-02/|access-date=September 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brady|first1=William J.|last2=Wills|first2=Julian A.|last3=Jost|first3=John T.|author-link3=John Jost|last4=Tucker|first4=Joshua A.|last5=Van Bavel|first5=Jay J.|title=Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks|date=July 11, 2017|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=114|issue=28|pages=7313–7318|doi=10.1073/pnas.1618923114|pmid=28652356|pmc=5514704|bibcode=2017PNAS..114.7313B |doi-access=free}}</ref> Haidt and Tobias Rose-Stockwell cite the phrase "'''moral grandstanding'''" to describe how having an audience on social media forums converts much of its interpersonal communication into a public performance.<ref name="Haidt & Rose-Stockwell" /> | |||
Following the ] in May 2020 and the ], ] and ]/'']'' polls showed that while net support for ] among ]s increased from –4 points to +10 points in early June 2020 (with 43 percent in support), falling to –6 points by early August 2020,<ref>{{cite news|last=Tesler|first=Michael|title=Support For Black Lives Matter Surged During Protests, But Is Waning Among White Americans|website=]|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/support-for-black-lives-matter-surged-during-protests-but-is-waning-among-white-americans/|date=August 19, 2020|access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref> and by April 2021, further Civiqs polls showed that support for Black Lives Matter among White Americans had reverted to roughly its level of support prior to George Floyd's murder (37 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed).<ref>{{cite news|last=Samuels|first=Alex|title=How Views On Black Lives Matter Have Changed – And Why That Makes Police Reform So Hard|website=]|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-views-on-black-lives-matter-have-changed-and-why-that-makes-police-reform-so-hard/|date=April 13, 2021|access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref> In a February 2021 interview on '']'', journalist ] criticized a minority of young white protestors in the George Floyd protests in the United States whom he argued were using the protests for their own ] to substitute for social ] (e.g. ]) and summertime social gatherings (e.g. attending ]s or ]s) that were precluded by ] and ] measures, noting that as lockdowns began to be relaxed and removed, support for Black Lives Matter among whites began to decline.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Blow|first=Charles M.|author-link=Charles M. Blow|interviewer=]|date=February 5, 2021|title=Charles Blow|work=]|publisher=]|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/firing-line/video/charles-blow-a2kchq/|access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref> | |||
In February 2021, '']'' published a survey reviewing 14,785 publicly reported murders in English language news worldwide between 1900 and 2019 compiled in a database by psychiatrists at the ] and the ] that found that of the 1,315 personal-cause ]s (i.e. driven by personal motivations and not occurring within the context of war, ] or ], ] activity, or ]) only 11 percent of mass murderers and only 8 percent of mass shooters had a "]" (e.g. ], ], ]), that mass shootings have become more common than other forms of mass murder since 1970 (with 73 percent occurring in the United States alone), and that mass shooters in the United States were more likely to have ], to engage in ] or ], and to display non-] psychiatric or ] symptoms.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brucato|first1=Gary|last2=Appelbaum|first2=Paul S.|author-link2=Paul S. Appelbaum|last3=Hesson|first3=Hannah|last4=Shea|first4=Eileen A.|last5=Dishy|first5=Gabriella|last6=Lee|first6=Kathryn|last7=Pia|first7=Tyler|last8=Syed|first8=Faizan|last9=Villalobos|first9=Alexandra|last10=Wall|first10=Melanie M.|author10-link=Melanie Wall|last11=Lieberman|first11=Jeffrey A.|author-link11=Jeffrey Lieberman|last12=Girgis|first12=Ragy R.|year=2021|title=Psychotic symptoms in mass shootings v. mass murders not involving firearms: findings from the Columbia mass murder database|journal=]|volume=52 |issue=15 |publisher=]|pages=1–9|pmid=33595428|doi=10.1017/S0033291721000076|s2cid=231944742|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/psychotic-symptoms-in-mass-shootings-v-mass-murders-not-involving-firearms-findings-from-the-columbia-mass-murder-database/50514607ADF1AC2ECEB43369B6153E34|access-date=August 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Preidt|first=Robert|date=February 25, 2021|title=Mental Illness Not a Factor in Most Mass Shootings|website=]|publisher=]|url=https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20210225/mental-illness-not-a-factor-in-most-mass-shootings|access-date=August 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ramsland|first1=Katherine|date=February 26, 2021|title=Is There a Link Between Madness and Mass Murder?|work=]|publisher=Sussex Publishers|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/202102/is-there-link-between-madness-and-mass-murder|access-date=August 16, 2021}}</ref> | |||
Survey coauthor psychiatrist ] argued that the data from the survey indicated that "difficulty coping with life events seem more useful foci for prevention and policy than an emphasis on serious mental illness",<ref>{{cite web|title=Researchers Issue First Report on Mass Shootings from the Columbia Mass Murder Database|date=February 18, 2021|publisher=]|url=https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/researchers-issue-first-report-mass-shootings-columbia-mass-murder-database|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> while psychiatrist Ronald W. Pies has suggested that ] should be understood as a three-gradation ] of ] with most mass shooters falling into a middle category of "persistent emotional disturbance".<ref>{{cite news|last=Pies|first=Ronald W.|date=February 17, 2020|title=Mass Shooters and the Psychopathology Spectrum|work=]|publisher=MJH Associates|url=https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/mass-shooters-and-psychopathology-spectrum|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> In 2015, psychiatrists James L. Knoll and George D. Annas noted that the tendency of most media attention following mass shootings on mental health leads to ] being comparatively overlooked.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Knoll|first1=James L.|last2=Annas|first2=George D.|editor-last1=Gold|editor-first1=Liza H.|editor-last2=Simon|editor-first2=Robert I.|year=2015|title=Gun Violence and Mental Illness|chapter=4. Mass Shootings and Mental Illness|place=New York|publisher=]|pages=91–94|url=https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/appi.books.9781615371099|isbn=978-1-58562-498-0}}</ref> Instead, Knoll and Annas cite research by social psychologists ] and ] on ] and ] in the personal histories of mass shooters, as well as cognitive scientist ]'s suggestion in '']'' (2011) that further reductions in human violence may be dependent upon reducing human narcissism.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Twenge|first1=Jean|author-link1=Jean Twenge|last2=Campbell|first2=W. Keith|author-link2=W. Keith Campbell|year=2010|title=The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement|place=New York|publisher=]|pages=199–200|isbn=978-1-4165-7599-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pinker|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Pinker|year=2011|title=The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined|title-link=The Better Angels of Our Nature|place=New York|publisher=]|pages=519–521|isbn=978-0-14-312201-2}}</ref> | |||
=== Non-informing, knowledge-eroding medium === | |||
{{Main|News Feed|Facebook Files|Big data|Confirmation bias|Echo chamber (media)|Facebook like button|Filter bubble|Infotainment|Political polarization|Radicalization}} | |||
{{See also|Like button|Negative partisanship|Online youth radicalization|Political polarization in the United States|Social aspects of television#Political polarization}} | |||
Facebook is a Big Tech company with over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020 and therefore has a meaningful impact on the masses that use it.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook MAU worldwide 2020|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/|access-date=January 6, 2021|website=Statista|language=en}}</ref> ] algorithms are used in personalized content creation and automatization; however, this method can be used to manipulate users in various ways.<ref>{{Citation|last=Harari|first=Yuval Noah|title=Danksagung|date=2017|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.17104/9783406704024-539|work=Homo Deus|pages=539–540|publisher=Verlag C.H.BECK oHG|doi=10.17104/9783406704024-539|isbn=978-3-406-70402-4|access-date=January 6, 2021}}</ref> The problem of misinformation is exacerbated by the educational bubble, users' critical thinking ability and news culture.<ref>{{Citation|last=Reviglio|first=Urbano|title=Serendipity by Design? How to Turn from Diversity Exposure to Diversity Experience to Face Filter Bubbles in Social Media|date=2017|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70284-1_22|work=Internet Science|series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science|volume=10673|pages=281–300|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-70284-1_22|isbn=978-3-319-70283-4|access-date=January 6, 2021}}</ref> Based on a 2015 study, 62.5% of the Facebook users are oblivious to any curation of their ]. Furthermore, scientists have started to investigate algorithms with unexpected outcomes that may lead to antisocial political, economic, geographic, racial, or other discrimination. Facebook has remained scarce in transparency of the inner workings of the algorithms used for News Feed correlation.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Eslami|first1=Motahhare|last2=Rickman|first2=Aimee|last3=Vaccaro|first3=Kristen|last4=Aleyasen|first4=Amirhossein|last5=Vuong|first5=Andy|last6=Karahalios|first6=Karrie|last7=Hamilton|first7=Kevin|last8=Sandvig|first8=Christian|title=Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |chapter="I always assumed that I wasn't really that close to [her]" |date=April 18, 2015|chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2702123.2702556|language=en|location=Seoul Republic of Korea|publisher=ACM|pages=153–162|doi=10.1145/2702123.2702556|isbn=978-1-4503-3145-6|s2cid=15264571}}</ref> Algorithms use the past activities as a reference point for predicting users' taste to keep them engaged. However, this leads to the formation of a ] that starts to refrain users from diverse information. Users are left with a skewed worldview derived from their own preferences and biases.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Adee|first=Sally|date=November 2016|title=Burst the filter bubble|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0262407916321820|journal=New Scientist|language=en|volume=232|issue=3101|pages=24–25|doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(16)32182-0}}</ref> | |||
In 2015, researchers from Facebook published a study indicating that the Facebook algorithm perpetuates an echo chamber amongst users by occasionally hiding content from individual feeds that users potentially would disagree with: for example the algorithm removed one in every 13 diverse content from news sources for self-identified liberals. In general, the results from the study indicated that the Facebook algorithm ranking system caused approximately 15% less diverse material in users' content feeds, and a 70% reduction in the click-through-rate of the diverse material.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tufekci|first=Zeynep|date=2015|title=Facebook said its algorithms do help form echo chambers, and the tech press missed it|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/npqu.11519|journal=New Perspectives Quarterly|volume=32|issue=3|pages=9–12|doi=10.1111/npqu.11519|via=Wiley Online Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Eytan|first1=Bakshy|last2=Messing|first2=Solomon|last3=Adamic|first3=Lada A|date=2015|title=Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook|journal=Science|volume=348|issue=6239|pages=1130–1132|doi=10.1126/science.aaa1160|pmid=25953820|bibcode=2015Sci...348.1130B|s2cid=206632821|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2018, social psychologist ] and ] President ] argued in '']'' that the filter bubbles created by the ] algorithm of Facebook and other platforms are one of the principal factors amplifying ] since 2000 (when a majority of U.S. households first had at least one personal computer and then internet access the following year).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lukianoff|first1=Greg|author-link1=Greg Lukianoff|last2=Haidt|first2=Jonathan|author-link2=Jonathan Haidt|title=The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure|title-link=The Coddling of the American Mind|year=2018|place=New York|publisher=]|pages=126–132|isbn=978-0-7352-2489-6}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/> | |||
In his '']'' (1790), philosopher ] observed "We are afraid to put men to live and trade each on his own private stock of reason; because we suspect that this stock in each man is small, and that the individuals would do better to avail themselves of the general bank and capital of nations and of ages."<ref>{{cite book|last=Burke|first=Edmund|author-link=Edmund Burke|editor-last=Mitchell|editor-first=L. G.|orig-year=1993|year=2009|title=Reflections on the Revolution in France|title-link=Reflections on the Revolution in France|edition=Reissue|place=New York|publisher=]|page=87|isbn=978-0-19-953902-4}}</ref> In '']'' (2012), statistician ] noted that ] had estimated that the world was generating 2.5 ] ]s of data each day (more than 90 percent of which was created in the previous two years), and that the increase in data was analogous to increases in ] as a consequence of the invention of the ] in 1440 by ] as well as the effect of the increase in book production in causing the ], the ], and the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Silver|first=Nate|author-link=Nate Silver|title=The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail – But Some Don't|title-link=The Signal and the Noise|publisher=]|place=New York City|edition=2nd|orig-year=2012|year=2015|pages=1–12|isbn=978-0-14-312508-2}}</ref> | |||
Citing Burke, Jonathan Haidt and Tobias Rose-Stockwell suggested in '']'' in December 2019 that because the proportion of most of the information that ] receives due to regular social media usage is information created primarily within the past month (e.g. ], ] gossip about ], ] ]s on news items) rather than information created in decades or centuries past, members of Generation Z are less familiar with the ] and ] of humanity (e.g. ], ], history) than generations past, and as a consequence, are more prone to embrace misguided ideas that bring them greater ] and ] within their immediate ] (noting the declining faith among Generation Z in democracy across the ] in polling data alongside renewed interest in ], ], and ] that is reflective of ignorance of the history of the 20th century).<ref name="Haidt & Rose-Stockwell">{{cite news|last1=Haidt|first1=Jonathan|author-link1=Jonathan Haidt|last2=Rose-Stockwell|first2=Tobias|title=The Dark Psychology of Social Networks|work=]|publisher=]|year=2019|volume=324|issue=6|pages=57–60|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/social-media-democracy/600763/|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gregory|first=Andy|title=More than a third of millennials approve of communism, YouGov poll indicates|date=November 7, 2019|work=]|publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/communism-millennials-capitalism-socialism-bernie-sanders-cold-war-yougov-a9188116.html|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Saad|first=Lydia|title=Socialism as Popular as Capitalism Among Young Adults in U.S.|date=November 25, 2019|publisher=]|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/268766/socialism-popular-capitalism-among-young-adults.aspx|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Facebook has, at least in the political field, a counter-effect on being informed: in two studies from the US with a total of more than 2,000 participants, the influence of social media on the general knowledge on political issues was examined in the context of two US presidential elections. The results showed that the frequency of Facebook use was moderately negatively related to general political knowledge. This was also the case when considering demographic, political-ideological variables and previous political knowledge. According to the latter, a causal relationship is indicated: the higher the Facebook use, the more the general political knowledge declines.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=Sangwon|last2=Xenos|first2=Michael|year=2019|title=Social distraction? Social media use and political knowledge in two U.S. Presidential elections|journal=Computers in Human Behavior|language=en|volume=90|pages=18–25|doi=10.1016/j.chb.2018.08.006|s2cid=53734285}}</ref> In 2019, Jonathan Haidt argued that there is a "very good chance American democracy will fail, that in the next 30 years we will have a catastrophic failure of our democracy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/americas-uncivil-war-on-democracy/news-story/45a86ac9b438b85dce0bbbd289e1604e|title=America's Uncivil War on Democracy|author=Kelly, Paul|website=TheAustralian.com|publisher=]|access-date=July 20, 2019}} Access by subscription only (February 2021).</ref> Following the ], in February 2021, Facebook announced that it would reduce the amount of political content in users News Feeds.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|interviewer=]|date=February 16, 2021|title=Facebook To Scale Back Politics In Users' News Feeds|work=]|publisher=]|url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/02/16/facebook-politics-news-feed|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref> | |||
=== Other psychological effects === | |||
It has been admitted by many students that they have experienced ] on the site, which leads to psychological harm. High school students face a possibility of bullying and other adverse behaviors over Facebook every day. Many studies have attempted to discover whether Facebook has a positive or negative effect on children's and teenagers' social lives, and many of them have come to the conclusion that there are distinct social problems that arise with Facebook usage. British neuroscientist ] stuck up for the issues that children encounter on social media sites, stating that these sites can rewire the brain, which caused some hysteria regarding the safety of social media usage. She did not back up her claims with research, but did cause quite a few studies to be done on the subject. When an individual's self-image is broken down by others as a result of badmouthing, criticism, harassment, criminalization or vilification, intimidation, demonization, demoralization, belittlement, or attacking someone over the site, it can cause much of the envy, anger, or depression users report feeling after prolonged Facebook usage.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Are social networking sites breeding antisocial young people? |first=Alanna |last=Bromley |journal=Journal of Digital Research and Publishing |year=2011 |url=http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/8137/1/DRPJournal_5pm_S2_2011.pdf#page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WoP0y3SylQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/3WoP0y3SylQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Students Take On Cyberbullying|date=November 22, 2011 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=My Best Day: Presentation of Self and Social Manipulation in Facebook and IM |first=Naomi S. |last=Baron |year=2007 |url=http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/bitstream/handle/1961/5782/Baron%20-%20My%20Best%20Day.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523064049/http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/bitstream/handle/1961/5782/Baron%20-%20My%20Best%20Day.pdf?sequence=1 |archive-date=May 23, 2013 }}</ref> | |||
], in her book '']'', argues that social media brings people closer and further apart at the same time. One of the main points she makes is that there is a high risk in treating persons online with dispatch like objects. Although people are networked on Facebook, their expectations of each other tend to be lessened. According to Turkle, this could cause a feeling of loneliness in spite of being together.<ref>Turkle, Sherry (2011): Alone Together. Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. New York: Basic Books.</ref> | |||
Between 2016 and 2018, the number of 12- to 15-year-olds who reported being bullied over social media rose from 6% to 11%, in the region covered by ].<ref name="longfield-2019" />{{better source needed|date=January 2019}} | |||
=== User influence experiments === | |||
Academic and Facebook researchers have collaborated to test if the messages people see on Facebook can influence their behavior. For instance, in "A 61-Million-Person Experiment in Social Influence And Political Mobilization", during the 2010 elections, Facebook users were given the opportunity to "tell your friends you voted" by clicking on an "I voted" button. Users were 2% more likely to click the button if it was associated with friends who had already voted.<ref name="bond20146mp">{{cite journal |author1=Robert M. Bond |author2=Christopher J. Fariss |author3=Jason J. Jones |author4=Adam D. I. Kramer |author5=Cameron Marlow |author6=Jaime E. Settle |author7=James H. Fowler |title=A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization| journal=Nature| year=2012| volume=489| issue=7415| pages=295–298| doi=10.1038/nature11421|pmid=22972300 |pmc=3834737|bibcode=2012Natur.489..295B }}</ref> | |||
Much more controversially, a 2014 study of "Emotional Contagion Through Social Networks" manipulated the balance of positive and negative messages seen by 689,000 Facebook users.<ref name="guardian2014">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/29/facebook-users-emotions-news-feeds|title=Facebook reveals news feed experiment to control emotions|access-date=June 30, 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|year=2014|author=Robert Booth}}</ref> The researchers concluded that they had found "some of the first experimental evidence to support the controversial claims that emotions can spread throughout a network, the effect sizes from the manipulations are small."<ref name="pnas2014">{{cite journal | author=Adam D. I. Kramer, Jamie E. Guillory. Jeffrey T. Hancock|title=Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks| journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America| year=2014| volume=111| issue=24| pages=8788–8790| doi=10.1073/pnas.1320040111| pmid=24889601| pmc=4066473|bibcode=2014PNAS..111.8788K|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
Unlike the "I voted" study, which had presumptively beneficial ends and raised few concerns, this study was criticized for both its ethics and methods/claims. As controversy about the study grew, Adam Kramer, a lead author of both studies and member of the Facebook data team, defended the work in a Facebook update.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/akramer/posts/10152987150867796|title=Facebook update|author=Adam D. I. Kramer|website=]|date=June 29, 2014|access-date=July 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623074223/https://www.facebook.com/akramer/posts/10152987150867796|archive-date=June 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{subscription required}}</ref> A few days later, Sheryl Sandburg, Facebook's COO, made a statement while traveling abroad. While at an Indian Chambers of Commerce event in New Delhi she stated that "This was part of ongoing research companies do to test different products, and that was what it was. It was poorly communicated and for that communication we apologize. We never meant to upset you."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2014/07/02/technology/social/facebook-apology/index.html?iid=TL_Popular|title=Facebook still won't say 'sorry' for mind games experiment |access-date=July 3, 2014|publisher=]|author=David Goldman|date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
Shortly thereafter, on July 3, 2014, ] reported that the privacy watchdog group ] (EPIC) had filed a formal complaint with the ] claiming that Facebook had broken the law when it conducted the study on the emotions of its users without their knowledge or consent. In its complaint, EPIC alleged that Facebook had deceived users by secretly conducting a psychological experiment on their emotions: "At the time of the experiment, Facebook did not state in the Data Use Policy that user data would be used for research purposes. Facebook also failed to inform users that their personal information would be shared with researchers."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Guynn|first1=Jessica|title=Privacy watchdog files complaint over Facebook study|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/07/03/facebook-emotion-study-complaint-epic/12157471/|work=]|access-date=July 5, 2014|date=July 3, 2014}}</ref> | |||
Beyond the ethical concerns, other scholars criticized the methods and reporting of the study's findings. John Grohol, writing for ], argued that despite its title and claims of "]", this study did not look at emotions at all. Instead, its authors used an application (called "Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count" or LIWC 2007) that simply counted positive and negative words to infer users' sentiments. He wrote that a shortcoming of the LIWC tool is that it does not understand negations. Hence, the tweet "I am not happy" would be scored as positive: "Since the LIWC 2007 ignores these subtle realities of informal human communication, so do the researchers." Grohol concluded that given these subtleties, the ] of the findings are little more than a "statistical blip". | |||
{{blockquote|Kramer et al. (2014) found a 0.07%—that's not 7 percent, that's 1/15th of one percent!!—decrease in negative words in people's status updates when the number of negative posts on their Facebook news feed decreased. Do you know how many words you'd have to read or write before you've written one less negative word due to this effect? Probably thousands.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grohol|first1=John|title=Emotional Contagion on Facebook? More Like Bad Research Methods|url=http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/06/23/emotional-contagion-on-facebook-more-like-bad-research-methods/|website=]|publisher=]|access-date=July 12, 2014|archive-date=July 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712053542/http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/06/23/emotional-contagion-on-facebook-more-like-bad-research-methods/|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} | |||
The consequences of the controversy are pending (be it FTC or court proceedings) but it did prompt an "Editorial Expression of Concern"<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sciences|first=National Academy of|date=July 22, 2014|title=Editorial Expression of Concern: Experimental evidence of massivescale emotional contagion through social networks|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=111|issue=29|pages=10779|doi=10.1073/pnas.1412469111|issn=0027-8424|pmid=24994898|pmc=4115552|bibcode=2014PNAS..11110779.|doi-access=free}}</ref> from its publisher, the ], as well as a blog posting from ] titled "We experiment on human beings!"<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123110808/http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/we-experiment-on-human-beings/|url=http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/we-experiment-on-human-beings/|date=July 28, 2014|first=Christian|last=Rudder|archive-date=January 23, 2015|title=We experiment on human beings|website=okcupid.com|access-date=July 14, 2019}}</ref> In September 2014, law professor James Grimmelmann argued that the actions of both companies were "illegal, immoral, and mood-altering" and filed notices with the Maryland Attorney General and Cornell Institutional Review Board.<ref>{{cite web | first1 = James | last1 = Grimmelmann | title = Illegal, immoral, and mood-altering: How Facebook and OkCupid broke the law when they experimented on users | date = September 23, 2014 |url=https://medium.com/@JamesGrimmelmann/illegal-unethical-and-mood-altering-8b93af772688 | access-date = September 24, 2014}}</ref> | |||
In the UK, the study was also criticized by the ] which said, in a letter to '']'', "There has undoubtedly been some degree of harm caused, with many individuals affected by increased levels of ], with consequent potential economic costs, increase in possible mental health problems and burden on health services. The so-called 'positive' manipulation is also potentially harmful."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/01/facebook-socially-irresponsible |title=Facebook's 'experiment' was socially irresponsible |work=The Guardian |date=July 1, 2014 |access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> | |||
== Tax avoidance == | |||
{{See also|Ireland as a tax haven}} | |||
Facebook uses a complicated series of ] in ]s to avoid paying billions of dollars in ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/23/facebook-tax-profits-outside-us|title=Facebook paid £2.9m tax on £840m profits made outside US, figures show|first=Rupert|last=Neate|date=December 23, 2012|access-date=October 25, 2016|newspaper=]}}</ref> | |||
According to '']'', Facebook is among the corporations that "avoided billions of dollars in tax using offshore companies."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1550750/3-paradise-papers-reveal-hidden-wealth-global-elite/ |title=Paradise Papers reveal hidden wealth of global elite|work=]|date= November 6, 2017}}</ref> | |||
For example, Facebook routes billions of dollars in profits using the ] and ] tax avoidance schemes to bank accounts in the ]. | |||
The Dutch newspaper '']'' concluded from the ] published in late 2017 that Facebook pays "practically no taxes" worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/11/10/belastingontwijking-is-simpel-op-te-lossen-13926791-a1580748|newspaper=]|date=November 11, 2017|access-date=July 14, 2019|title=Belastingontwijking is simpel op te lossen|first= Wouter|last=van Noort|trans-title=Tax avoidance can easily be solved|language=nl}} The quote, as heading of the article, comes from the French economist ].</ref> | |||
For example, Facebook paid: | |||
* In 2011, £2.9m tax on £840m profits in the UK; | |||
* In 2012 and 2013 no tax in the UK; | |||
* In 2014 £4,327 tax on hundreds of millions of pounds in UK revenues which were transferred to tax havens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34504474|title=Facebook paid £4,327 corporation tax in 2014|date=October 12, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2016|publisher=BBC}}</ref> | |||
According to economist and member of the ] delegation inside the ] (S&D) ], between 2013 and 2015 the EU lost an estimated €1,453m – €2,415m to Facebook.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://static.financieel-management.nl/documents/16690/EU-Tax-Revenue-Loss-from-Google-and-Facebook.pdf|title=EU Tax Revenue Loss from Google and Facebook|last=Tang|first=Paul|date=September 2017}}</ref> When comparing to others countries outside the EU, the EU is only taxing Facebook with a rate of 0.03% to 0.1% of its revenue (around 6% of its EBT) whereas this rate is near 28% in countries outside the EU. Even had a rate between 2% and 5% been applied during this period – as suggested by the ] Council – a fraud of this rate by Facebook would have meant a loss to the EU between €327m and €817m.<ref name=":5" /> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+Revenues, profits, tax and effective tax rates, Facebook Inc. 2013–2015.<ref name=":5" /> | |||
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | | |||
! colspan="3" |Revenue (m EUR) | |||
! colspan="3" |EBT (m EUR) | |||
! colspan="3" |Tax (m EUR) | |||
! colspan="3" |Tax / EBT | |||
! colspan="3" |Tax / Revenue | |||
|- | |||
!Total | |||
!EU | |||
!Rest of the world | |||
!Total | |||
!EU | |||
!Rest of the world | |||
!Total | |||
!EU | |||
!Rest of the world | |||
!Total | |||
!EU | |||
!Rest of the world | |||
!Total | |||
!EU | |||
!Rest of the world | |||
|- | |||
|'''Facebook Inc.''' | |||
|'''2013''' | |||
|5,720 | |||
|3,069 | |||
|2,651 | |||
|2,001 | |||
|(4) | |||
|2,005 | |||
|911 | |||
|3 | |||
|908 | |||
|46% | |||
|n.a | |||
|45% | |||
|15.93% | |||
|'''0.10%''' | |||
|'''34.25%''' | |||
|- | |||
| | |||
|'''2014''' | |||
|10,299 | |||
|5,017 | |||
|5,282 | |||
|4,057 | |||
|(20) | |||
|4,077 | |||
|1,628 | |||
|5 | |||
|1,623 | |||
|40% | |||
|n.a | |||
|40% | |||
|15.81% | |||
|'''0.09%''' | |||
|'''30.73%''' | |||
|- | |||
| | |||
|'''2015''' | |||
|16,410 | |||
|8,253 | |||
|8,157 | |||
|5,670 | |||
|(43) | |||
|5,627 | |||
|2,294 | |||
|3 | |||
|2,291 | |||
|40% | |||
|6% | |||
|41% | |||
|13.98% | |||
|'''0.03%''' | |||
|'''28.09%''' | |||
|} | |||
On July 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a petition in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, asking for a court order to enforce an administrative summons issued to Facebook, Inc., under ] section 7602,<ref>{{usc|26|7602}}.</ref> in connection with an ] examination of Facebook's year 2010 U.S. Federal income tax return.<ref>Seth Fiegerman, "Facebook is being investigated by the IRS", July 7, 2016, CNN, at .</ref><ref>''United States of America v. Facebook, Inc. and Subsidiaries'', case no. 16-cv-03777, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco Div.).</ref> | |||
In November 2017, the '']'' recorded that for the 2016 financial year, Facebook had paid €30 million of ] on €12.6 billion of revenues that were routed through Ireland, giving an ] of under 1%.<ref name="wwx">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/facebook-paid-just-30m-tax-in-ireland-despite-earning-12bn-36362527.html|title=Facebook paid just €30m tax in Ireland despite earning €12bn|work=Irish Independent|date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> The €12.6 billion of 2016 Facebook revenues routed through Ireland was almost half of Facebook's global revenues.<ref name="face3">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/facebook-ireland-pays-tax-of-just-30m-on-126bn-816238.html|title=Facebook Ireland pays tax of just €30m on €12.6bn|newspaper=Irish Examiner|date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> In April 2018, '']'' wrote that all of Facebook's non–U.S. accounts were legally housed in Ireland for tax purposes, but were being moved due to the May 2018 EU ] regulations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-privacy-eu-exclusive/exclusive-facebook-to-put-1-5-billion-users-out-of-reach-of-new-eu-privacy-law-idUSKBN1HQ00P|title=Exclusive: Facebook to put 1.5 billion users out of reach of new EU privacy law|work=]|author=David Ingram|date=April 18, 2018}}</ref> | |||
In November 2018, the '']'' reported that Facebook routed over €18.7 billion of revenues through Ireland (almost half all global revenues), on which it paid €38 million of Irish corporation tax.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/facebook-ireland-pays-38m-tax-on-251m-profit-1.3713161|title=Facebook Ireland pays €38m tax on €18.7 billion of revenue channeled through Ireland in 2017|newspaper=]|author=Peter Hamilton|date=November 28, 2018|quote=The social media giant channelled €18.7 billion in revenue through its Irish subsidiary, an increase of 48 per cent from the €12.6 billion recorded in 2016. While gross profit amounted to €18.1 billion, administrative expenses of €17.8 billion meant profit before tax increased 44 per cent to €251 million.}}</ref> | |||
== Treatment of employees, moderators and contractors == | |||
=== Moderators === | |||
{{See also|Cognizant#Working conditions and mental health issues|Arvato#Facebook content moderation}} | |||
Facebook hires some employees through contractors, including ], ], ], ], and ], to serve as ], reviewing potentially problematic content posted to both Facebook and Instagram.{{refn|<ref name=verge19>{{cite web |last1=Newton |first1=Casey |title=THE TRAUMA FLOOR: The secret lives of Facebook moderators in America |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18229714/cognizant-facebook-content-moderator-interviews-trauma-working-conditions-arizona |access-date=February 25, 2019 |website=The Verge |date=February 25, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Irish Times moderators">{{cite news|first1=Jennifer|last1=O'Connell|access-date=June 21, 2019|title=Facebook's dirty work in Ireland: 'I had to watch footage of a person being beaten to death'|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/facebook-s-dirty-work-in-ireland-i-had-to-watch-footage-of-a-person-being-beaten-to-death-1.3841743|newspaper=]|date=March 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Bodies in Seats">{{cite web|first1=Casey|last1=Newton|access-date=June 21, 2019|title=Three Facebook moderators break their NDAs to expose a company in crisis|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/19/18681845/facebook-moderator-interviews-video-trauma-ptsd-cognizant-tampa|date=June 19, 2019|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Queenie|last1=Wong|access-date=June 21, 2019|title=Murders and suicides: Here's who keeps them off your Facebook feed|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-content-moderation-is-an-ugly-business-heres-who-does-it/|publisher=]|date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>}} Many of these contractors face unrealistic expectations, harsh working conditions, and constant exposure to disturbing content, including ], ], and ].<ref name=verge19 /><ref name="Irish Times moderators" /> Contractor employment is contingent on achieving and maintaining a score of 98 on a 100-point scale on a metric known as "accuracy". Falling below a score of 98 can result in ]. Some have reported ] (PTSD) stemming from lack of access to counseling, coupled with unforgiving expectations and the violent content they are assigned to review.<ref name=verge19 /> | |||
Content moderator Keith Utley, who was employed by Cognizant, experienced a heart attack during work in March 2018; the office lacked a ], and Utley was transported to a hospital where he died.<ref name="Bodies in Seats" /><ref>{{cite web|first1=Lisa|last1=Eadicicco|access-date=June 20, 2019|title=A Facebook content moderator died after suffering heart attack on the job|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Facebook-content-moderator-died-after-heart-attack-14018228.php|date=June 19, 2019|website=]}}</ref> Selena Scola, an employee of contractor Pro Unlimited, Inc., sued her employer after she developed PTSD as a result of "constant and unmitigated exposure to highly toxic and extremely disturbing images at the workplace".<ref>{{cite web|first1=Emanuel|last1=Maiberg|first2=Jason|last2=Koebler|first3=Joseph|last3=Cox|access-date=June 21, 2019|title=A Former Content Moderator Is Suing Facebook Because the Job Reportedly Gave Her PTSD|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm5mw5/facebook-content-moderation-lawsuit-ptsd|date=September 24, 2018|website=]}}</ref> In December 2019, former CPL employee Chris Gray began legal action in the High Court of Ireland, claiming damages for PTSD experienced as a moderator,<ref>{{cite web|first1=Chris|last1=Gray|first2=Alex|last2=Hern|access-date=February 25, 2020|title=Ex-Facebook worker claims disturbing content led to PTSD |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/dec/04/ex-facebook-worker-claims-disturbing-content-led-to-ptsd|date=December 4, 2019|website=]}}</ref> the first of an estimated 20+ pending cases. In February 2020, employees in Tampa, Florida filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Cognizant alleging they developed PTSD and related mental health impairments as a result of constant and unmitigated exposure to disturbing content.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook sued by Tampa workers who say they suffered trauma from watching videos|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/2020/02/06/facebook-sued-by-tampa-workers-who-suffered-trauma-from-watching-videos/|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> | |||
In February 2020, the European Union Commissioners criticized the plans that Facebook has for dealing with the working conditions of those who are contracted to moderate content on the social media platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/facebooks-approach-to-content-moderation-slammed-by-eu-commissioners/|title=Facebook's approach to content moderation slammed by EU commissioners|last=Leprince-Ringuet|first=Daphne|publisher=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Facebook agreed to settle a ] for $52 million on May 12, 2020, which included a $1,000 payment to each of the 11,250 moderators in the class, with additional compensation available for the treatment of PTSD and other conditions resulting from the jobs.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Casey|last1=Newton|access-date=June 1, 2020|title=Facebook will pay $52 million in settlement with moderators who developed PTSD on the job|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21255870/facebook-content-moderator-settlement-scola-ptsd-mental-health|date=May 12, 2020|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=June 1, 2020|title=In Settlement, Facebook To Pay $52 Million To Content Moderators With PTSD|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/12/854998616/in-settlement-facebook-to-pay-52-million-to-content-moderators-with-ptsd|publisher=]|first=Bobby|last=Allyn|date=May 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=June 1, 2020|title=Facebook to pay $52m for failing to protect moderators from 'horrors' of graphic content|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/12/facebook-settlement-mental-health-moderators|date=May 13, 2020|website=]|first=Kari|last=Paul}}</ref> | |||
=== Employees === | |||
Plans for a Facebook-owned real estate development known as "]" have been criticized for resembling a "]", which often curtails the rights of residents, and encourages or forces employees to remain within an environment created and monitored by their employer outside of work hours.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Streitfeld |first1=David |title=Welcome to Zucktown. Where Everything Is Just Zucky. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/technology/facebook-zucktown-willow-village.html |access-date=February 25, 2019 |work=] |date=March 21, 2018}}</ref> Critics have referred to the development as "Zucktown" and "Facebookville" and the company has faced additional criticism for the effect it will have on existing communities in California. | |||
The operational manager at Facebook as of March 2021, along with three former candidates of the Facebook hiring process complained to the EEOC of racial bias being practiced at the company against Black people. The current employee, Oscar Veneszee Jr. accused the firm of conducting subjective evaluations and pushing the idea of racial stereotypes. The EEOC has labeled the practice as "systemic" racial bias and has initiated an investigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/05/facebook-systemic-racial-bias-hiring-eeoc-investigation|title=Facebook faces US investigation for 'systemic" racial bias in hiring|access-date=March 6, 2021|website=The Guardian|date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> | |||
== Misleading campaigns against competitors == | |||
In May 2011, emails were sent to journalists and bloggers making critical allegations about Google's privacy policies; however, it was later discovered that the anti-Google campaign, conducted by PR giant ], was paid for by Facebook in what CNN referred to as "a new level skullduggery" and which '']'' called a "clumsy smear". While taking responsibility for the campaign, Burson-Marsteller said it should not have agreed to keep its client's (Facebook's) identity a secret. "Whatever the rationale, this was not at all standard operating procedure and is against our policies, and the assignment on those terms should have been declined", it said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2011/05/12/technology/facebook_google/index.htm|title=Facebook vs. Google fight turns nasty|first=Julianne|last=Pepitone|website=CNNMoney|access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> | |||
In December 2020, ]. announced an initiative of Anti-Tracking measures (opt-in tracking policy) to be introduced to their App Store Services. Facebook quickly reacted and started to criticise the initiative, claiming the Apple's anti-tracking privacy focused change will have "harmful impact on many small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat and on the free internet that we all rely on more than ever". Facebook also launched a so-called "Speak Up For Small Businesses" page. Apple in their response stated that "users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites – and they should have the choice to allow that or not". Apple was also backed up by ] (EFF) who stated that "Facebook touts itself in this case as protecting small businesses, and that couldn't be further from the truth".<ref>{{Cite web|title=EFF Calls Facebook's Criticism of Apple's Pro-Privacy Tracking Change 'Laughable'|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/19/eff-calls-facebook-criticism-of-apple-laughable/|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=MacRumors|date=December 19, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
In March 2022, '']'' revealed that Facebook had partnered with Republican consulting firm Targeted Victory to orchestrate a campaign to damage the public reputation of competitor ].<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last1=Lorenz |first1=Taylor |last2=Harwell |first2=Drew |date=2022-03-30 |title=Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/ |access-date=2022-03-31}}</ref> | |||
== Copying competitors' products and features == | |||
Beyond acquiring competitors in the social and messaging space with strong potential, Facebook often simply copies products or features to get to the market faster. Internal emails have shown that Facebook's leadership, including Mark Zuckerberg were frustrated by the time the company spends on prototyping, and suggested to explore copying entire products like Pinterest. "Copying is faster than innovating" – admitted an employee on the internal email thread, which continued: "If you gave the top-down order to go ahead, copy e.g. Pinterest or the gaming dynamics on Foursquare ... I am sure very small team of engineers, a , and a designer would get it done super quickly."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/30/21348082/zuckerberg-facebook-house-committee-emails-app-development-speed-copying-innovation|title = Emails show Mark Zuckerberg feared app startups were building faster than Facebook in 2012|date = July 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Email Chain Between Facebook Executives|website=House Judiciary Committee|access-date=2023-12-30|url=https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/0006754900067553.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823010522/https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/0006754900067553.pdf|archive-date=2022-08-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
Many Facebook employees seem to be questioning Facebook's approach of cloning competitors. According to leaks, a top quoted question in Facebook's internal all-hands was: "What is our next big product, which does not imitate already existing products on the market?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techweez.com/2021/04/23/facebook-employees-tired-of-cloning-apps-features/|title = Facebook Employees Are Tired of Cloning Apps and Features|date = April 23, 2021}}</ref> | |||
=== Snapchat === | |||
In June 2014, Facebook launched Slingshot, an app for sending ephemeral photos like Snapchat does. In August 2016, the company released Facebook Stories, which is a copy of Snapchat's most popular feature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/10/30/18044962/facebook-stories-business-user-growth-q3-earnings-zuckerberg|title = The 'Stories' product that Facebook copied from Snapchat is now Facebook's future|date = October 30, 2018}}</ref> | |||
=== TikTok === | |||
In August 2020, Facebook built Instagram Reels, a feature that functioned and looked similar to TikTok.<ref>{{Cite web |title=As Facebook Launches TikTok Clone, A Look Back at 6 Other Rival Products It Copied |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/08/05/as-facebook-launches-tiktok-clone-a-look-back-at-6-other-rival-products-it-copied/ |website=]}}</ref> | |||
=== Pinterest === | |||
For several months, Facebook was experimenting with an app called Hobbi, which took many cues from Pinterest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/13/facebooks-latest-experiment-is-hobbi-an-app-to-document-your-personal-projects/|title = Facebook's latest experiment is Hobbi, an app to document your personal projects| date=February 13, 2020 }}</ref> | |||
=== Clubhouse === | |||
In the summer of 2021, Facebook started to roll out Live Audio Rooms, which resembles Clubhouse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/21/22540508/facebook-live-audio-rooms-clubhouse-rival-spaces-greenhouse|title = Facebook's Clubhouse competitor starts rolling out in the US today|date = June 21, 2021}}</ref> | |||
== Content == | |||
{{Main|Facebook content management controversies}} | |||
Facebook or Meta Platforms has been criticized for its management of various content on posts, photos and entire groups and profiles. This includes but is not limited to allowing violent content, including content related to war crimes, and not limiting the spread of fake news and COVID-19 misinformation on their platform, as well as allowing incitement of violence against multiple groups. | |||
=== Misguiding news publishers and advertisers on video engagement === | |||
Facebook heavily pushed news publishers towards making more videos and discouraging text content. However, this was revealed to be wrong as metrics used for time spent on videos was faulty overestimating by 60-80%, later unsealed court documents revealed the metric was wrong between 150-900% time. A group of advertisers in California sued Facebook over the allegation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did Facebook's faulty data push news publishers to make terrible decisions on video? |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/10/did-facebooks-faulty-data-push-news-publishers-to-make-terrible-decisions-on-video/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Nieman Lab}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=2018-10-17 |title=Facebook may have knowingly inflated its video metrics for over a year |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17989712/facebook-inaccurate-video-metrics-inflation-lawsuit |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> | |||
== Technical == | |||
=== Real-name policy controversy and compromise === | |||
{{Main|Facebook real-name policy controversy}} | |||
Facebook has a ] policy for ]s. The real-name policy stems from the position "that way, you always know who you're connecting with. This helps keep our community safe."<ref name="Grinberg" /> The real-name system does not allow adopted names or pseudonyms,<ref>{{cite web |first=Caroline |last=Copley |title=German court rules Facebook may block pseudonyms |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-germany-pseudonymns-idUSKCN0W521V |work=] |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> and in its enforcement has suspended accounts of legitimate users, until the user provides identification indicating the name.<ref name="fake name-very rare">{{cite web |first=Barbara |last=Ortutay |title=Real users caught in Facebook fake-name purge |url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Real-users-caught-in-Facebook-fake-name-purge-3231397.php |website=] |publisher=] |date=May 25, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> Facebook representatives have described these incidents as very rare.<ref name="fake name-very rare" /> A user claimed responsibility via the ] ] and ] app ] for reporting "fake names" which caused user profiles to be suspended, specifically targeting the stage names of ]s.<ref>{{cite web |first=Karyne |last=Levy |title=Facebook Apologizes For 'Real Name' Policy That Forced Drag Queens To Change Their Profiles |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apologizes-for-real-name-policy-2014-10 |website=] |publisher=] |date=October 1, 2014 |access-date=March 23, 2017}}</ref> On October 1, 2014, ], Chief Product Officer at Facebook, offered an apology: "In the two weeks since the real-name policy issues surfaced, we've had the chance to hear from many of you in these communities and understand the policy more clearly as you experience it. We've also come to understand how painful this has been. We owe you a better service and a better experience using Facebook, and we're going to fix the way this policy gets handled so everyone affected here can go back to using Facebook as you were."<ref>{{cite web |first=Jordan |last=Crook |title=Facebook Apologizes To LGBT Community And Promises Changes To Real Name Policy |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/01/facebook-apologizes-to-lgbt-community-and-promises-changes-to-real-name-policy/ |website=] |publisher=] |date=October 1, 2014 |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> | |||
On December 15, 2015, Facebook announced in a press release<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/12/community-support-fyi-improving-the-names-process-on-facebook/ |title=Community Support FYI: Improving the Names Process on Facebook |last1=Osofsky |first1=Jason |last2=Gage |first2=Todd |date=December 15, 2015 |website=Facebook Newsroom |via=Facebook |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref> that it would be providing a compromise to its real name policy after protests from groups such as the gay/lesbian community and abuse-victims.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/facebook-modifies-real-names-policy-testing-use-of-assumed-names-1.2702400 |title=Facebook modifies 'real names' policy, testing use of assumed names |last=AFP |date=December 16, 2015 |website=CTV News |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref> The site is developing a protocol that will allow members to provide specifics as to their "special circumstance" or "unique situation" with a request to use pseudonyms, subject to verification of their true identities. At that time, this was already being tested in the U.S. Product manager Todd Gage and vice president of global operations Justin Osofsky also promised a new method for reducing the number of members who must go through ID verification while ensuring the safety of others on Facebook. The fake name reporting procedure will also be modified, forcing anyone who makes such an allegation to provide specifics that would be investigated and giving the accused individual time to dispute the allegation.<ref>{{cite web |first=Amanda |last=Holpuch |title=Facebook adjusts controversial 'real name' policy in wake of criticism |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/15/facebook-change-controversial-real-name-policy |website=] |date=December 15, 2015 |access-date=March 23, 2017}}</ref> | |||
=== Deleting users' statuses === | |||
There have been complaints of user statuses being mistakenly or intentionally deleted for alleged violations of Facebook's posting guidelines. Especially for non-English speaking writers, Facebook does not have a proper support system to genuinely read the content and make decisions. Sometimes the content of a status did not have any "abusive" or defaming language, but it nevertheless got deleted on the basis that it had been secretly reported by a group of people as "offensive". For other languages than English, Facebook until now is not able to identify the group approach that is used to vilify humanitarian activism. In another incident, Facebook had to apologize after it deleted a free speech group's post about the abuse of human rights in Syria. In that case, a spokesman for Facebook said the post was "mistakenly" removed by a member of its moderation team, which receives a high volume of take-down requests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jul/06/facebook-apologises-free-speech-syria |title=Facebook apologises for deleting free speech group's post on Syrian torture |website=The Guardian |date=July 6, 2013 |access-date=June 4, 2013|location=London |first=Josh |last=Halliday}}</ref> | |||
=== Enabling of harassment === | |||
Facebook instituted a policy by which it is now self-policed by the community of Facebook users.{{when|date=February 2015}} Some users have complained that this policy allows Facebook to empower abusive users to harass them by allowing them to submit reports on even benign comments and photos as being "offensive" or "in violation of Facebook Rights and Responsibilities" and that enough of these reports result in the user who is being harassed in this way getting their account blocked for a predetermined number of days or weeks, or even deactivated entirely.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Jealous-Wives-Are-Getting-Courtney-Stodden-Banned-on-Facebook-227862.shtml |title=Jealous Wives Are Getting Courtney Stodden Banned on Facebook – Softpedia |website=News.softpedia.com |date=October 14, 2011 |access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> | |||
Facebook UK policy director Simon Milner told ] magazine that "Once the piece of content has been seen, assessed and deemed OK, (Facebook) will ignore further reports about it."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/online-harassment |title= When good lulz go bad: unpicking the ugly business of online harassment |magazine=Wired |date=January 27, 2014 |access-date=August 23, 2017 }}</ref> | |||
=== Lack of customer support === | |||
Facebook lacks any form of live customer support beyond "community" support pages and FAQ's which offer only general troubleshooting advice, often making it impossible to resolve issues that require the services of an administrator or are not covered in the FAQs. The automated emailing system used when filling out a support form often directs users back to the help center or to pages that are outdated and cannot be accessed, leaving users at a dead end with no further support available. A person who lost access to Facebook or does not have an account has no easy way to contact the company directly. | |||
=== Downtime and outages === | |||
Facebook has had a number of outages and downtime large enough to draw some media attention. A 2007 outage resulted in a security hole that enabled some users to read other users' personal mail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62030242,00.htm |title=Caroline McCarthy, "Facebook outage draws more security questions", ''CNET News.com, ZDNet Asia'', August 2, 2007 |website=Zdnetasia.com |date=August 2, 2007 |access-date=March 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531013330/http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62030242,00.htm |archive-date=May 31, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, the site was inaccessible for about a day, from many locations in many countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/062608_Facebook_Outage_Hits_Some_Countries |title=David Hamilton, "Facebook Outage Hits Some Countries", ''Web Host Industry Review'', Jun. 26, 2008 |website=Thewhir.com |access-date=March 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402044522/http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/062608_Facebook_Outage_Hits_Some_Countries |archive-date=April 2, 2010 }}</ref> In spite of these occurrences, a report issued by ] found that Facebook had less downtime in 2008 than most social-networking websites.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=214501925&cid=nl_IWK_daily_H |title=K.C. Jones, "Facebook, MySpace More Reliable Than Peers", ''Information Week'', February 19, 2009 |website=InformationWeek |access-date=March 23, 2010 |archive-date=March 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314002839/http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=214501925&cid=nl_IWK_daily_H |url-status=dead }}</ref> On September 16, 2009, Facebook started having major problems loading as people signed in. This was due to a group of hackers deliberately trying to drown out a political speaker who had social networking problems from continuously speaking against the Iranian election results. Just two days later, on September 18, Facebook went down again.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsnidea.com/14912/facebook-outage-and-facebook-down-september-18-2009 |access-date=August 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809091218/http://newsnidea.com/14912/facebook-outage-and-facebook-down-september-18-2009/ |archive-date=August 9, 2010 |title=Facebook Outage and Facebook Down September 18 2009}}</ref> | |||
In October 2009, an unspecified number of Facebook users were unable to access their accounts for over three weeks.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Caroline|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10370788-36.html|title=Facebook's mounting customer service crisis | The Social – CNET News|publisher=CNET|date=October 8, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009|archive-date=February 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220032915/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10370788-36.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Caroline|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10372417-36.html|title=Downed Facebook accounts still haven't returned | The Social – CNET News|publisher=CNET|date=October 10, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009|archive-date=October 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007150340/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10372417-36.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/173550/facebook_outage_silences_150000_users.html|title=Facebook Outage Silences 150,000 Users|magazine=PC World|date=October 13, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009|archive-date=December 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225222111/http://www.pcworld.com/article/173550/facebook_outage_silences_150000_users.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gaudin|first=Sharon|url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139311/Facebook_deals_with_missing_accounts_150_000_angry_users|title=Facebook deals with missing accounts, 150,000 angry users|website=Computerworld|date=October 13, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009}}</ref> | |||
On Monday, October 4, 2021, Facebook and its other apps – ], ], ], ], as well as the lesser-known ] – had an hours-long ]-related ].<ref name="Salter">{{Cite web|last=Salter|first=Jim|date=2021-10-04|title=Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus are down. Here's what we know|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/10/facebook-instagram-whatsapp-and-oculus-are-down-heres-what-we-know/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mapillary is currently experiencing an outage|url=https://twitter.com/mapillary/status/1445088765962166275|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Twitter|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004192004/https://twitter.com/mapillary/status/1445088765962166275 |archive-date=October 4, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Patnaik|first1=Subrat|last2=Mathews|first2=Eva|date=2021-10-04|title=Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp hit by global outage|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebook-instagram-down-thousands-users-downdetectorcom-2021-10-04/|access-date=2021-10-04}}</ref> The outage also affected anyone using "Log in with Facebook" to access third-party sites.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barrett|first=Brian|title=Why Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp All Went Down Today|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-went-down-outage/|access-date=2021-10-05|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The downtime lasted approximately five hours and fifteen minutes, from approximately 15:50 UTC to 21:05 UTC, and affected roughly three billion users.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Patnaik|first1=Subrat|last2=Mathews|first2=Eva|date=4 October 2021|title=Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp hit by global outage|work=Reuters|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/facebook-outages-idUSKBN2GU1TV|access-date=4 October 2021}}</ref> The outage was caused by a ] withdrawal of all of the ] routes to their ], which were all self-hosted at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|title=What took Facebook down: Major global outage drags on|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-took-facebook-down/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=ZDNet|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Salter"/> | |||
A further global outage occurred on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Snelling |first=Dave |date=March 5, 2024 |title=Facebook, Instagram, Messenger down: Meta platforms suddenly stop working in huge outage |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/facebook-instagram-messenger-down-not-working-latest-b2507376.html |access-date=March 5, 2024 |work=]}}</ref> ], ], ] and ] suddenly stopped working worldwide at 15:00 ], ending two hours later. The outage appeared on ], a day of many presidential primary elections in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capoot |first=Ashley |date=2024-03-05 |title=Facebook, Threads and Instagram back online after outage |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/05/facebook-threads-and-instagram-are-down-for-some-users.html |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> The cause of the outage was reportedly related to a problem with an automated tool for fixing ] values.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trí |first=Dân |date=2024-03-07 |title=Hé lộ lý do khiến Facebook, Instagram bị "sập" trên toàn cầu |url=https://dantri.com.vn/suc-manh-so/he-lo-ly-do-khien-facebook-instagram-bi-sap-tren-toan-cau-20240306151744574.htm |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Báo điện tử Dân Trí |language=vi}}</ref> ] CEO ] mocked the outage in ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elon |first=Musk |date=March 5, 2024 |title=If you're reading this post, it's because our servers are working |url=https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1765047740327702665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1765047740327702665%7Ctwgr%5Ebd376ae77a5bda395fa0d4039c07299e3a494e25%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fe.vnexpress.net%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Felon-musk-takes-jab-at-meta-after-global-outage-4719094.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |website=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |date=March 5, 2024 |title=**image** |url=https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1765048551023734801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1765048551023734801%7Ctwgr%5Ebd376ae77a5bda395fa0d4039c07299e3a494e25%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fe.vnexpress.net%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Felon-musk-takes-jab-at-meta-after-global-outage-4719094.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |website=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-05 |title=Facebook and Instagram down: Elon Musk mocks Meta with sarcastic post on X |url=https://www.marca.com/en/technology/2024/03/05/65e74df3ca47417c018b45b9.html |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=MARCA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |date=March 5, 2024 |title=we know why you're all here rn |url=https://twitter.com/X/status/1765044097855672781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1765044097855672781%7Ctwgr%5E232736055e99fd836cbc89c668f6c801c54aa07f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marca.com%2Fen%2Ftechnology%2F2024%2F03%2F05%2F65e74df3ca47417c018b45b9.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |website=Twitter}}</ref> | |||
=== Tracking cookies === | |||
Facebook has been criticized heavily for 'tracking' users, even when logged out of the site. Australian technologist ] discovered that when a user logs out of Facebook, the cookies from that login are still kept in the browser, allowing Facebook to track users on websites that include "social widgets" distributed by the social network. Facebook has denied the claims, saying they have 'no interest' in tracking users or their activity. They also promised after the discovery of the cookies that they would remove them, saying they will no longer have them on the site. A group of users in the United States have sued Facebook for breaching privacy laws.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reisinger |first=Don |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57437060-93/facebook-sued-for-$15-billion-over-alleged-privacy-infractions/ |title=Facebook sued for $15 billion over alleged privacy infractions |publisher=CNET |date=May 18, 2012 |access-date=February 23, 2014}}</ref> | |||
{{as of|2015|December|}}, to comply with a court order citing violations of the ] ] – which requires users to consent to tracking and storage of data by websites, Facebook no longer allows users in ] to view any content on the service, even public pages, without being registered and logged in.<ref name=verge-belgiumpages>{{cite web|title=After privacy ruling, Facebook now requires Belgium users to log in to view pages|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/2/9838104/facebook-belgium-log-in-privacy-ruling-cookies|website=The Verge|access-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref> | |||
=== Email address change === | |||
In June 2012, Facebook removed all existing email addresses from user profiles, and added a new @facebook.com email address. Facebook claimed this was part of adding a "new setting that gives people the choice to decide which addresses they want to show on their timelines". However, this setting was redundant to the existing "Only Me" privacy setting which was already available to hide addresses from timelines. Users complained the change was unnecessary, they did not want an @facebook.com email address, and they did not receive adequate notification their profiles had been changed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lifehacker.com/5921095/facebook-just-changed-your-email-without-permission-heres-how-to-get-it-back|title=Facebook Changed Everyone's Email to @Facebook.com; Here's How to Fix Yours|first=Whitson|last=Gordon|website=Lifehacker.com|access-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref> The change in email address was synchronized to phones due to a software bug, causing existing email addresses details to be deleted.<ref>{{cite web |first=Casey |last=Johnston |title=@facebook.com e-mail plague chokes phone address books |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/07/facebook-com-e-mail-plague-chokes-phone-address-books/ |website=] |date=July 2, 2012 |access-date=June 14, 2017}}</ref> The facebook.com email service was retired in February 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/24/5443454/facebook-retires-its-email-service|title=Facebook retires its troubled @facebook.com email service|first=Ellis|last=Hamburger|date=February 24, 2014|website=The Verge|access-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref> | |||
=== Safety Check bug === | |||
On March 27, 2016, following a ], Pakistan, Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature, which allows people to let friends and loved ones know they are okay following a crisis or natural disaster, to people who were never in danger, or even close to the Pakistan explosion. Some users as far as the US, UK and Egypt received notifications asking if they were okay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.techinsider.io/facebook-safety-check-pakistan-explosion-2016-3|title=Facebook mistakenly asked people if they were in Pakistan following a deadly explosion|website=Tech Insider|access-date=March 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cnet.com/news/facebooks-safety-check-malfunctions-after-pakistan-bombing/|title=Facebook's Safety Check malfunctions after Pakistan bombing|publisher=CNET|access-date=March 27, 2016}}</ref> | |||
=== End-to-end encryption === | |||
In February 2021, the ] of the UK expressed its concerns that the installation of end-to-end encryption methods would result in the spread of child pornography going undetected.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Fiona|date=May 21, 2021|title=MI5 chief Ken McCallum accuses Facebook of giving 'free pass' to terrorists|work=]|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mi5-chief-ken-mccallum-accuses-facebook-of-giving-free-pass-to-terrorists-q0ffxk3ps}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Dearden|first=Lizzie|date=February 10, 2021|title=Facebook encryption will create 'hidden space' for paedophiles to abuse children, National Crime Agency warns|work=]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facebook-encryption-paedophiles-nca-david-wilson-b1800254.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Davis|first=Margaret|date=May 25, 2021|title=Up to 850,000 people in UK pose sexual threat to children, says NCA|work=]|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/nca-facebook-safety-norfolk-oliver-dowden-b937103.html}}</ref> Facebook representatives had previously told a UK Parliament committee that the use of these stronger encryption methods would render it easier for pedophiles to share child pornography on Facebook's networks.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9">{{Cite news|last=Hern|first=Alex|date=January 21, 2021|title=Facebook admits encryption will harm efforts to prevent child exploitation|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/21/facebook-admits-encryption-will-harm-efforts-to-prevent-child-exploitation}}</ref> The ] estimates that around 70% of reports to law enforcement regarding the spread of child pornography on Facebook would be lost as a result of the implementation of end-to-end encryption.<ref name=":9" /> | |||
In May 2021, Facebook came under fire from ], the Director-General of ], for its plans to introduce ] into its Messenger and Instagram services.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite news|last=Abbot|first=Rachelle|date=May 21, 2021|title=Fed's crypto crackdown: save some of those epic gains for tax|work=]|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/fed-s-crypto-crackdown-save-some-of-those-epic-gains-for-tax-b936545.html}}</ref> McCallum stated that the introduction of such encryption methods would prevent security organizations from viewing communications related to ongoing terrorist plots and that the implementation of end-to-end encryption would block active ] investigations.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Middleton|first=Joe|date=May 21, 2021|title=MI5 chief accuses Facebook of giving 'free pass' to terrorists|work=]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mi5-chief-accuses-facebook-of-giving-free-pass-to-terrorists-b1851158.html}}</ref> | |||
== Third-party responses to Facebook == | |||
=== Government censorship === | |||
{{Main|Censorship of Facebook}} | |||
Several countries have ], including Syria,<ref name="syria">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSOWE37285020071123|title=Syria blocks Facebook in Internet crackdown|access-date=March 5, 2008|author=Yacoub Oweis, Khaled|work=Reuters|date=November 23, 2007}}</ref> China,<ref name="chinablock">{{cite web|title=China's Facebook Status: Blocked |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/07/chinas-facebook-status-blocked.html |date=July 8, 2009 |work=ABC News |access-date=July 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711081856/http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/07/chinas-facebook-status-blocked.html |archive-date=July 11, 2009 }}</ref> and Iran.<ref name="iran">{{cite web|access-date=April 30, 2008|url=http://www.hamsaweb.org/crime/4.html|title=Facebook Faces Censorship in Iran|publisher=]|date=August 29, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424001859/http://www.hamsaweb.org/crime/4.html|archive-date=April 24, 2008}}</ref> | |||
In 2010, the ], a branch of the government of the Isle of Man, received so many complaints about Facebook that they deemed it necessary to provide a "Facebook Guidance" booklet (available online as a PDF file), which cited (amongst other things) Facebook policies and guidelines and included an elusive Facebook telephone number. This number when called, however, proved to provide no telephone support for Facebook users, and only played back a recorded message advising callers to review Facebook's online help information.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/odps/facebookguidance.pdf |title=Isle of Man ODPS issues Facebook Guidance booklet |author=ODPS |year=2010 |access-date=May 1, 2013 |publisher=Office of the Data Protection Supervisor |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102185817/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/odps/facebookguidance.pdf |archive-date=November 2, 2012 }}</ref> | |||
In 2010, Facebook reportedly allowed an objectionable page, deemed by the Islamic Lawyers Forum (ILF), to be anti-Muslim. The ILF filed a petition with ]'s ]. On May 18, 2010, Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry ordered Pakistan's Telecommunication Authority to block access to Facebook until May 31. The offensive page had provoked street demonstrations in Muslim countries due to ], which are regarded as blasphemous by Muslims.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breakingnews/breakingnews_world/pakistan-court-orders-facebook-ban-28536530.html|title=Pakistan court orders Facebook ban|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/7740295/Facebook-blocked-in-Pakistan-over-Prophet-Mohammed-cartoon-row.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/7740295/Facebook-blocked-in-Pakistan-over-Prophet-Mohammed-cartoon-row.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|location=London|title=Facebook blocked in Pakistan over Prophet Mohammed cartoon row|first=Rob|last=Crilly|date=May 19, 2010|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A spokesman said ] would move to implement the ban once the order has been issued by the Ministry of Information and Technology. "We will implement the order as soon as we get the instructions", Khurram Mehran told AFP. "We have already blocked the URL link and issued instruction to Internet service providers yesterday", he added. Rai Bashir told AFP that "We moved the petition in the wake of widespread resentment in the Muslim community against the Facebook contents". The petition called on the government of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest with the owners of Facebook, he added. Bashir said a PTA official told the judge his organization had blocked the page, but the court ordered a total ban on the site. People demonstrated outside court in the eastern city of ], Pakistan, carrying banners condemning Facebook. Protests in Pakistan on a larger scale took place after the ban and widespread news of that objectionable page. The ban was lifted on May 31 after Facebook reportedly assured the Lahore High Court that it would remedy the issues in dispute.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/20/pakistan.mohammed.day.facebook/index.html?hpt=T1|title=Pakistan blocks YouTube, Facebook over 'sacrilegious content' – CNN|date=May 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geo.tv/5-20-2010/65266.htm|title=Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous material|website=GEO.tv|date=May 20, 2010|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1390&catid=92&Itemid=301|title=Home – Pakistan Telecommunication Authority|website=Pta.gov.pk|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> | |||
In 2011, a court in Pakistan was petitioned to place a permanent ban on Facebook for hosting a page called "2nd Annual Draw Muhammad Day May 20th 2011".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/299124-lhc-moved-for-ban-on-facebook|title=LHC moved for ban on Facebook|website=The News International|access-date=December 16, 2018|archive-date=July 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718114459/https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/299124-lhc-moved-for-ban-on-facebook|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/162801/permanently-banning-facebook-court-seeks-record-of-previous-petitions/|title=Permanently banning Facebook: Court seeks record of previous petitions|date=May 6, 2011|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> | |||
=== Government fines === | |||
In July 2024, Nigeria's government slapped Meta with a $220 million fine for violating the country's data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp. According to Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Meta broke the rules in five major ways: sharing Nigerian users' data without permission, denying consumers control over their data, practicing discrimination, and abusing market dominance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-19 |title=Nigeria fines Meta $220 million for violating data protection and consumer rights laws |url=https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-meta-fine-facebook-whatsapp-9c79447e348dcaaa1b8c59898e60c7fa |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> | |||
=== Organizations blocking access === | |||
] government employees, Federal public servants, MPPs, and cabinet ministers were blocked from access to Facebook on government computers in May 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/ont-government-employees-blocked-from-facebook-1.239854|publisher=CTV news|title=Organizations blocking Facebook}}</ref> When the employees tried to access Facebook, a warning message "The Internet website that you have requested has been deemed unacceptable for use for government business purposes". This warning also appears when employees try to access YouTube, ], gambling or pornographic websites.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=March 5, 2008|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/05/03/facebook_banned_for_ontario_staffers.html|title=Facebook banned for Ontario staffers|newspaper=]|date=May 3, 2007|author=Benzie, Robert}}</ref> However, innovative employees have found ways around such protocols, and many claim to use the site for political or work-related purposes.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=March 5, 2008|url=http://blogcampaigning.com/2007/05/23/ontario-politicians-close-the-book-on-facebook/|title=Ontario politicians close the book on Facebook|date=May 23, 2007|publisher=Blog Campaigning|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314143605/http://blogcampaigning.com/2007/05/23/ontario-politicians-close-the-book-on-facebook/|archive-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref> | |||
A number of local governments including those in the UK<ref>{{cite news|access-date=February 2, 2010|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8231234.stm|title=Facebook banned for council staff | work=BBC News | date=September 1, 2009}}</ref> and Finland<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 2, 2010|url=http://yle.fi/alueet/keski-pohjanmaa/2009/03/tietoturvauhan_poistuminen_voi_avata_naamakirjan_kokkolassa_624024.html|title=Tietoturvauhan poistuminen voi avata naamakirjan Kokkolassa (In Finnish)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222044827/http://yle.fi/alueet/keski-pohjanmaa/2009/03/tietoturvauhan_poistuminen_voi_avata_naamakirjan_kokkolassa_624024.html|archive-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> imposed restrictions on the use of Facebook in the workplace due to the technical strain incurred. Other government-related agencies, such as the ] have imposed similar restrictions.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 2, 2010 |url=http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN0458-09.aspx |title=Immediate Ban of Internet Social Networking Sites (SNS) On Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) NIPRNET |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225100508/http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN0458-09.aspx |archive-date=December 25, 2009 }}</ref> A number of hospitals in Finland have also restricted Facebook use citing privacy concerns.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 2, 2010|url=http://www.mediuutiset.fi/uutisarkisto/article337292.ece|title=Facebook kiellettiin Keski-Suomen sairaanhoitopiirissä (In Finnish)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025125634/http://www.mediuutiset.fi/uutisarkisto/article337292.ece|archive-date=October 25, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 2, 2010|url=http://www.lb.kaleva.fi/uutiset/sairaanhoitopiirin-tyontekijoille-kielto-nettiyhteisoihin/835976|title=Sairaanhoitopiirin työntekijöille kielto nettiyhteisöihin (In Finnish)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720185115/http://www.lb.kaleva.fi/uutiset/sairaanhoitopiirin-tyontekijoille-kielto-nettiyhteisoihin/835976|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> | |||
=== Schools blocking access === | |||
The ] (UNM) in October 2005 blocked access to Facebook from UNM campus computers and networks, citing unsolicited emails and a similar site called UNM Facebook.<ref name=lobo>{{cite news|first=Caleb |last=Fort |url=http://www.dailylobo.com/news/2005/10/12/News/Cirt-Blocks.Access.To.Facebook.com-1017983.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906075236/http://www.dailylobo.com/news/2005/10/12/News/Cirt-Blocks.Access.To.Facebook.com-1017983.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |title=CIRT blocks access to Facebook.com |publisher=Daily Lobo (University of New Mexico) |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=April 3, 2006 }}</ref> After a UNM user signed into Facebook from off campus, a message from Facebook said, "We are working with the UNM administration to lift the block and have explained that it was instituted based on erroneous information, but they have not yet committed to restore your access." UNM, in a message to students who tried to access the site from the UNM network, wrote, "This site is temporarily unavailable while UNM and the site owners work out procedural issues. The site is in violation of UNM's ] for abusing computing resources (e.g., spamming, ], etc.). The site forces use of UNM credentials (e.g., NetID or email address) for non-UNM business." However, after Facebook created an encrypted login and displayed a precautionary message not to use university passwords for access, UNM unblocked access the following spring semester.<ref name="UNMUnlbock">{{cite news|url=http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/001003.html |title=Popular web site, Facebook.com, back online at UNM |access-date=April 15, 2007 |date=January 19, 2006 |publisher=University of New Mexico |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212145819/http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/001003.html |archive-date=February 12, 2007 }}</ref> | |||
The '']'' reported on June 22, 2006, that ]'s ] had planned to ban the use of Facebook by athletes and gave them until August 1 to delete their accounts.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ryan |last=Loew |title=Kent banning athlete Web profiles |url=http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=194268 |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |date=June 22, 2006 |access-date=October 6, 2006 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> On July 5, 2006, the '']'' reported that the director reversed the decision after reviewing the privacy settings of Facebook. As long as they followed the university's policies of online conduct, they could keep their profiles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Summer Kent Stater 5 July 2006 — Kent State University|url=https://dks.library.kent.edu/?a=d&d=sks20060705-01.2.4&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|access-date=October 8, 2020|website=dks.library.kent.edu}}</ref> | |||
=== Closed social networks === | |||
Several web sites concerned with social networking, such as ] have criticized the lack of information that users get when they share data. Advanced users cannot limit the amount of information anyone can access in their profiles, but Facebook promotes the sharing of personal information for marketing purposes, leading to the promotion of the service using personal data from users who are not fully aware of this. Facebook exposes personal data, without supporting open standards for data interchange.<ref>{{cite web |title=Closed Social Networks as a Gilded Cage |date=August 6, 2007 |url=http://everwas.com/2007/08/closed-social-networks-as-a-gilded-cage.html |access-date=February 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029231629/http://everwas.com/2007/08/closed-social-networks-as-a-gilded-cage.html |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to several communities<ref>see NSTeens {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310171536/http://www.nsteens.org/videos/social-networking/ |date=March 10, 2010 }}</ref> and authors<ref>Lapeira's post (October 16, 2008) {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> closed social networking, on the other hand, promotes data retrieval from other people while not exposing one's personal information. | |||
] was established in early 2010 both as a parody of Facebook and a critique of its changing privacy management protocols.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://youropenbook.org/about.html |title=Openbook – Connect and share whether you want to or not |website=Youropenbook.org |date=May 12, 2010 |access-date=August 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803060358/http://youropenbook.org/about.html |archive-date=August 3, 2010 }}</ref> | |||
===FB Purity=== | |||
], or '''FB Purity''' for short (previously known as '''Facebook Purity''') is a ] first launched in 2009 to allow users to remove annoyances such as spam from their feed and allow more individual control over what content is displayed.<ref name = "lifehacker">{{cite web|url= http://lifehacker.com/5605377/f-b-purity-hides-annoying-facebook-applications-and-news-feed-updates|title=F. B. Purity Hides Annoying Facebook Applications and News Feed Updates |last=Whitson|first=Gordon|date=5 August 2010|publisher=Lifehacker|accessdate=27 August 2023}}</ref> In response, Facebook banned its developer from using the platform and blocked links to the extension.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/121912-facebook-timeline-265257.html|title=Facebook bans developer of timeline-cleaning browser extension|last=Gold|first=Jon|date=19 December 2012|publisher=Network World|accessdate=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514112913/http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/121912-facebook-timeline-265257.html|archive-date=14 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
===Unfollow Everything=== | |||
'''Unfollow Everything''' is a ] designed to help ] users reduce their time spent on the platform by mass ] to reduce the clutter in their news feed. The extension, together with its creator, has been banned by Facebook and subject to legal warnings.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barclay|first=Louis|date=2021-10-07|title=Facebook Banned Me for Life Because I Help People Use It Less|url=https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/facebook-unfollow-everything-cease-desist.html|access-date=2021-10-11|website=Slate Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook Banned the Creator of 'Unfollow Everything' and Sent Him a Cease and Desist Letter|url=https://gizmodo.com/facebook-banned-the-creator-of-unfollow-everything-and-1847826505|access-date=2021-10-11|website=Gizmodo|date=October 8, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vincent|first=James|date=2021-10-08|title=Facebook bans developer behind Unfollow Everything tool|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/8/22716044/facebook-unfollow-everything-tool-louis-barclay-banned-for-life|access-date=2021-10-11|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> | |||
== Litigation == | |||
{{further|Lawsuits involving Meta Platforms}} | |||
Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, Inc., has been involved in many lawsuits since its founding in 2004. | |||
== Lobbying == | |||
Facebook is among the biggest spenders on lobbying among tech companies; in 2020, it was the highest spender.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feiner |first=Lauren |date=2021-01-22 |title=Facebook spent more on lobbying than any other Big Tech company in 2020 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/22/facebook-spent-more-on-lobbying-than-any-other-big-tech-company-in-2020.html |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> It spent more than $80 million on lobbying in the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jardin |first=Xeni |date=2020-01-23 |title=Google spent ~$150 million on US lobbying over last decade, followed by Facebook at ~$81M, Amazon almost $80M: Federal filings |url=https://boingboing.net/2020/01/22/google-spent-150-million-on.html |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Boing Boing |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Romm |first=Tony |date=January 22, 2020 |title=Tech giants led by Amazon, Facebook and Google spent nearly half a billion on lobbying over the past decade, new data shows |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/22/amazon-facebook-google-lobbying-2019/ |access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref> This funding may serve to weaken privacy protections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook, Google Fund Groups Shaping Federal Privacy Debate (3) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/facebook-google-donate-heavily-to-privacy-advocacy-groups |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}</ref> | |||
In March 2019, '']'' reported that ] paid lawyer Ed Sussman to lobby for changes to their Misplaced Pages articles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Feinberg |first1=Ashley |author-link=Ashley Feinberg |title=Facebook, Axios And NBC Paid This Guy To Whitewash Misplaced Pages Pages |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wikipedia-paid-editing-pr-facebook-nbc-axios_n_5c63321be4b03de942967225 |access-date=8 April 2019 |work=] |date=14 March 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408121951/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wikipedia-paid-editing-pr-facebook-nbc-axios_n_5c63321be4b03de942967225 |archive-date=8 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cohen |first1=Noam |author-link=Noam Cohen |title=Want to Know How to Build a Better Democracy? Ask Misplaced Pages |url=https://www.wired.com/story/want-to-know-how-to-build-a-better-democracy-ask-wikipedia/ |access-date=8 April 2019 |magazine=] |date=7 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408021128/https://www.wired.com/story/want-to-know-how-to-build-a-better-democracy-ask-wikipedia/ |archive-date=8 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In December 2021, news broke on The Wall Street Journal pointing to Meta's lobbying efforts to divide US lawmakers and "muddy the waters" in Congress, to hinder regulation following the 2021 whistleblower leaks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-whistleblower-pushback-political-spin-zuckerberg-11640786831|title=Facebook's Pushback: Stem the Leaks, Spin the Politics, Don't Say Sorry|first=Keach Hagey, Georgia Wells, Emily Glazer, Deepa Seetharaman and Jeff|last=Horwitz|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=December 29, 2021|via=www.wsj.com}}</ref> Facebook's lobbyist team in Washington suggested to Republican lawmakers that the whistleblower "was trying to help Democrats," while the narrative told to Democratic staffers was that Republicans "were focused on the company's decision to ban expressions of support for ]," ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported. According to the article, the company's goal was to "muddy the waters, divide lawmakers along partisan lines and forestall a cross-party alliance" against Facebook (now Meta) in Congress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/facebook-reportedly-told-republicans-whistleblower-162305207.html|title=Facebook reportedly told Republicans whistleblower was 'trying to help Democrats'|website=news.yahoo.com|date=December 29, 2021 }}</ref> | |||
In March 2022, the ''Washington Post'' reported that Meta had hired the Republican-backed consulting firm Targeted Victory to coordinate lobbying and negative PR against the video app ] via local media outlets, including concurrent promotion of corporate initiatives conducted by Facebook.<ref name=":6" /> | |||
== Terms of use controversy == | |||
While Facebook originally made changes to its terms of use<ref name="facebook.com" /> or, ], on February 4, 2009, the changes went unnoticed until Chris Walters, a blogger for the consumer-oriented blog, '']'', noticed the change on February 15, 2009.<ref name="PC World">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/159703/facebook_privacy_change_sparks_federal_complaint.html?tk=rel_news|magazine=PC World|title=Facebook Privacy Change Sparks Federal Complaint|access-date=March 5, 2009|archive-date=April 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409180725/http://www.pcworld.com/article/159703/facebook_privacy_change_sparks_federal_complaint.html?tk=rel_news|url-status=dead}}</ref> Walters complained the change gave Facebook the right to "Do anything they want with your content. Forever."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://consumerist.com/5150175/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever|work=Consumerist|publisher=Consumer Media LLC|title=Facebook's New Terms Of Service: "We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever."|access-date=February 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008202953/http://consumerist.com/5150175/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever|archive-date=October 8, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The section under the most controversy is the "User Content Posted on the Site" clause. Before the changes, the clause read:<ref name="facebook.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/terms.php|via=Facebook|title=Niet compatibele browser|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2020}}{{blockquote|You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.}}The "license granted" refers to the license that Facebook has to one's "name, likeness, and image" to use in promotions and external advertising.<ref name="facebook.com" /> The new terms of use deleted the phrase that states the license would "automatically expire" if a user chose to remove content. By omitting this line, Facebook license extends to adopt users' content perpetually and irrevocably years after the content has been deleted.<ref name="PC World" /> | |||
Many users of Facebook voiced opinions against the changes to the Facebook Terms of Use, leading to an Internet-wide debate over the ownership of content. ] prepared a formal complaint with the ]. Many individuals were frustrated with the removal of the controversial clause. Facebook users, numbering more than 38,000, joined a user group against the changes, and a number of blogs and news sites have written about this issue.<ref name="PC World" /> | |||
After the change was brought to light in Walters's blog entry, in his blog on February 16, 2009, Zuckerberg addressed the issues concerning the recently made changes to Facebook's terms of use. Zuckerberg wrote "Our philosophy is that people own their information and control who they share it with."<ref name="facebook4">{{cite web|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?blog_id=company&blogger=4|via=Facebook|title=Improving Your Ability to Share and Connect|access-date=March 5, 2009}}</ref> In addition to this statement Zuckerberg explained the paradox created when people want to share their information (phone number, pictures, email address, etc.) with the public, but at the same time desire to remain in complete control of who has access to this info.<ref name="Facebook" /> | |||
To calm criticism, Facebook returned to its original terms of use. However, on February 17, 2009, Zuckerberg wrote in his blog, that although Facebook reverted to its original terms of use, it is in the process of developing new terms to address the paradox. Zuckerberg stated that these new terms will allow Facebook users to "share and control their information, and it will be written clearly in language everyone can understand." Zuckerberg invited users to join a group entitled "Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" to give their input and help shape the new terms. | |||
On February 26, 2009, Zuckerberg posted a blog, updating users on the progress of the new Terms of Use. He wrote, "We decided we needed to do things differently and so we're going to develop new policies that will govern our system from the ground up in an open and transparent way." Zuckerberg introduces the two new additions to Facebook: the Facebook Principles<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54964476066 |via=Facebook |title=Facebook Town Hall: Proposed Facebook Principles |access-date=March 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227043045/http://www.facebook.com//group.php?gid=54964476066 |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2020}} and the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67758697570 |via=Facebook |title=Facebook Town Hall: Proposed Statement of Rights and Responsibilities |access-date=March 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227043055/http://www.facebook.com//group.php?gid=67758697570 |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2020}} Both additions allow users to vote on changes to the terms of use before they are officially released. Because "Facebook is still in the business of introducing new and therefore potentially disruptive technologies", Zuckerberg explains, users need to adjust and familiarize themselves with the products before they can adequately show their support.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?blog_id=company&blogger=4|via=Facebook|title=Governing the Facebook Service in an Open and Transparent Way|access-date=March 5, 2009}}</ref> | |||
This new voting system was initially applauded as Facebook's step to a more democratized social network system.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/160358/rewriting_facebooks_terms_of_service.html|title=Rewriting Facebook's Terms of Service|magazine=PC World|access-date=March 5, 2009|archive-date=March 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302070632/http://www.pcworld.com/article/160358/rewriting_facebooks_terms_of_service.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the new terms were harshly criticized in a report by computer scientists from the ], who stated that the democratic process surrounding the new terms is disingenuous and significant problems remain in the new terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2009/03/29/commentary-on-facebooks-terms-of-service|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=Democracy Theatre on Facebook|date=March 29, 2009 |access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref> The report was endorsed by the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2009/04/01/facebook%E2%80%99s-theatrical-rights-and-wrongs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406023013/http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2009/04/01/facebook%E2%80%99s-theatrical-rights-and-wrongs/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 6, 2009|title=Facebook's theatrical rights and wrongs|publisher=Open Rights Group|access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref> | |||
In December 2009, EPIC and a number of other U.S. privacy organizations filed another complaint<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epic.org/privacy/inrefacebook/EPIC-FacebookComplaint.pdf|title=Complaint, Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief|website=Epic.org|access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> with the ] (FTC) regarding Facebook's Terms of Service. In January 2011 EPIC filed a subsequent complaint<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epic.org/privacy/inrefacebook/EPIC_Facebook_Supp.pdf|title=Supplemental Materials in Support of Pending Complaint and Request for Injunction, Request for Investigation and for Other Relief|website=Epic.org|access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> claiming that Facebook's new policy of sharing users' home address and mobile phone information with third-party developers were "misleading and fail to provide users clear and privacy protections", particularly for children under age 18.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-mar-01-la-fi-facebook-minors-20110301-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 1, 2011 |title=Facebook reconsiders allowing third-party applications to ask minors for private information |last=Puzzanghera |first=Jim}}</ref> Facebook temporarily suspended implementation of its policy in February 2011, but the following month announced it was "actively considering" reinstating the third-party policy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epic.org/2011/03/facebook-resumes-plan-to-discl.html|title=EPIC – Facebook Resumes Plan to Disclose User Home Addresses and Mobile Phone Numbers|first=Electronic Privacy Information|last=Center|website=epic.org}}</ref> | |||
== Interoperability and data portability == | |||
Facebook has been criticized for failing to offer users a feature to export their friends' information, such as contact information, for use with other services or software. The inability of users to export their ] in an ] format contributes to ] and contravenes the principles of ].<ref>{{cite web|first=Gavin|last=Baker|title=Free software vs. software-as-a-service: Is the GPL too weak for the Web?|url=http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/free_software_vs_software_service|work=]|date=May 27, 2008|access-date=June 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517024735/http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/free_software_vs_software_service|archive-date=May 17, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Automated collection of user information without Facebook's consent violates its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement of Rights and Responsibilities|url=http://www.facebook.com/terms.php|via=Facebook|date=May 1, 2009|access-date=June 29, 2009}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2020}} and third-party attempts to do so (e.g., ]) have resulted in litigation, ]. | |||
Facebook Connect has been criticized for its lack of ] with ].<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Calore|title=As Facebook Connect Expands, OpenID's Challenges Grow|url=https://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/12/as-facebook-con|magazine=Wired|date=December 1, 2008|access-date=June 29, 2009|quote=Facebook Connect was developed independently using proprietary code, so Facebook's system and OpenID are not interoperable. ... This is a clear threat to the vision of the Open Web, a future when data is freely shared between social websites using open source technologies.}}</ref> | |||
=== Lawsuits over privacy === | |||
Facebook's strategy of making revenue through advertising has created a lot of controversy for its users as some argue that it is "a bit creepy ... but it is also brilliant."<ref name="What Facebook Can Sell">{{cite magazine|last1=Thompson |first1=Nicholas |title= What Facebook Can Sell |url=https://newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/02/what-facebook-can-sell.html |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=May 18, 2014}}</ref> Some Facebook users have raised privacy concerns because they do not like that Facebook sells user's information to third parties. In 2012, users sued Facebook for using their pictures and information on a Facebook advertisement.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barnett|first1=Emma|title=Facebook Settles Lawsuit With Angry Users|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9284486/Facebook-settles-lawsuit-with-angry-users.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9284486/Facebook-settles-lawsuit-with-angry-users.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Telegraph |access-date=May 18, 2014|location=London|date=May 23, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Facebook gathers user information by keeping track of pages users have "Liked" and through the interactions users have with their connections.<ref name="Dijck 2013, p. 47">Dijck 2013, p. 47.</ref> They then create value from the gathered data by selling it.<ref name="Dijck 2013, p. 47" /> In 2009 users also filed a lawsuit for Facebook's privacy invasion through the ] system. Facebook's team believed that through the Beacon system people could inspire their friends to buy similar products, however, users did not like the idea of sharing certain online purchases with their Facebook friends.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Farber |first1=Dan |title= Facebook Beacon Update: No Activities Published Without Users Proactively Consenting |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/facebook-beacon-update-no-activities-published-without-users-proactively-consenting/ |publisher=ZDNet |access-date=May 18, 2014}}</ref> Users were against Facebook's invasion of privacy and sharing that privacy with the world. Facebook users became more aware of Facebook's behavior with user information in 2009 as Facebook launched their new Terms of Service. In Facebook's terms of service, Facebook admits that user information may be used for some of Facebook's own purposes such as sharing a link to your posted images or for their own commercials and advertisements.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sinker |first1=Daniel |title= Face/Off: How a Little Change in Facebook's User Policy is Making People Rethink the Rights They Give Away Online |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/daniel-sinker/faceoff-how-a-little-chan_b_167695.html |website=HuffPost |access-date=May 28, 2014 |date=February 17, 2009}}</ref> | |||
As Dijck argues in his book that, "the more users know about what happens to their personal data, the more inclined they are to raise objections."<ref name="Dijck 2013, p. 47" /> This created a battle between Facebook and Facebook users described as the "battle for information control".<ref name="Dijck 2013, p. 47" /> Facebook users have become aware of Facebook's intentions and people now see Facebook "as serving the interests of companies rather than its users."<ref>Dijck 2013, p. 48.</ref> In response to Facebook selling user information to third parties, concerned users have resorted to the method of "]". Through obfuscation users can purposely hide their real identity and provide Facebook with false information that will make their collected data less accurate. By obfuscating information through sites such as FaceCloak, Facebook users have regained control of their personal information.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |last1=Brunton |first1=Finn |year=2011 |title=Vernacular Resistance to Data Collection and Analysis: A Political Theory of Obfuscation |url=http://firstmonday.org/article/view/3493/2955 |url-status=dead |journal=First Monday |doi=10.5210/fm.v16i5.3493 |s2cid=46500367 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830184948/https://firstmonday.org/article/view/3493/2955 |archive-date=August 30, 2022 |access-date=May 18, 2014 |doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
== Better Business Bureau review == | |||
{{As of|2010|December}}, the ] gave Facebook an "A" rating.<ref name="BBB">{{cite web |title=BBB Review of Facebook |url=http://sanjose.bbb.org/Business-Report/Facebook-223670 |access-date=December 12, 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trustlink.org/BusinessProfile.aspx?ID=206048589|title=TrustLink Review of Facebook.|access-date=May 5, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613061557/http://trustlink.org/BusinessProfile.aspx?ID=206048589|archive-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
{{As of|2010|December}}, the 36-month running count of complaints about Facebook logged with the Better Business Bureau is 1136, including 101 ("Making a full refund, as the consumer requested"), 868 ("Agreeing to perform according to their contract"), 1 ("Refuse {{sic}} to adjust, relying on terms of agreement"), 20 ("Unassigned"), 0 ("Unanswered") and 136 ("Refusing to make an adjustment").<ref name="BBB" /> | |||
== Security == | |||
Facebook's software has proven vulnerable to ]. On July 28, 2010, the ] reported that security consultant Ron Bowes used a piece of code to scan Facebook profiles to collect data of 100 million profiles. The data collected was not hidden by the user's privacy settings. Bowes then published the list online. This list, which has been shared as a downloadable file, contains the URL of every searchable Facebook user's profile, their name and unique ID. Bowes said he published the data to highlight privacy issues, but Facebook claimed it was already public information.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emery|first=Daniel|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10796584|title=Details of 100 m Facebook users collected and published|publisher=BBC|date=July 29, 2010|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> | |||
In early June 2013, '']'' reported that an increase in malicious links related to the ] ] program ] were identified by Eric Feinberg, founder of the advocacy group Fans Against Kounterfeit Enterprise (FAKE). Feinberg said that the links were present on popular ] Facebook fan pages and, following contact with Facebook, was dissatisfied with the corporation's "after-the-fact approach". Feinberg called for oversight, stating, "If you really want to hack someone, the easiest place to start is a fake Facebook profile—it's so simple, it's stupid."<ref>{{cite news|title=Bits: Malware That Drains Your Bank Account Thriving on Facebook|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/malware-that-drains-your-bank-account-thriving-on-facebook/?smid=tw-share|access-date=June 9, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 3, 2013|author=Nicole Perlroth}}</ref> | |||
=== Rewards for vulnerability reporting === | |||
On August 19, 2013, it was reported that a Facebook user from ], Khalil Shreateh, found a ] that allowed him to post material to other users' Facebook Walls. Users are not supposed to have the ability to post material to the Facebook Walls of other users unless they are approved friends of those users that they have posted material to. To prove that he was telling the truth, Shreateh posted material to Sarah Goodin's wall, a friend of Facebook CEO ]. Following this, Shreateh contacted Facebook's security team with the proof that his bug was real, explaining in detail what was going on. Facebook has a bounty program in which it compensates people a $500+ fee for reporting bugs instead of using them to their advantage or selling them on the black market. However, it was reported that instead of fixing the bug and paying Shreateh the fee, Facebook originally told him that "this was not a bug" and dismissed him. Shreateh then tried a second time to inform Facebook, but they dismissed him yet again. On the third try, Shreateh used the bug to post a message to Mark Zuckerberg's Wall, stating "Sorry for breaking your privacy ... but a couple of days ago, I found a serious Facebook exploit" and that Facebook's security team was not taking him seriously. Within minutes, a security engineer contacted Shreateh, questioned him on how he performed the move and ultimately acknowledged that it was a bug in the system. Facebook temporarily suspended Shreateh's account and fixed the bug after several days. However, in a move that was met with much public criticism and disapproval, Facebook refused to pay out the 500+ fee to Shreateh; instead, Facebook responded that by posting to Zuckerberg's account, Shreateh had violated one of their ] policies and therefore "could not be paid". Included with this, the Facebook team strongly censured Shreateh over his manner of resolving the matter. In closing, they asked that Shreateh continue to help them find bugs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bort |first=Julie |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/researcher-facebook-ignored-bug-found-143418388.html |title=Researcher: Facebook Ignored the Bug I Found Until I Used It to Hack Zuckerberg |publisher=Yahoo! Finance |date=April 20, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/tech/social-media/zuckerberg-facebook-hack/ |title=Zuckerberg's Facebook page hacked to prove security exploit |publisher=CNN |date=May 14, 2013 |access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Tom Warren |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/18/4633046/facebook-security-bug-let-anyone-post-on-walls |title=Facebook ignored security bug, researcher used it to post details on Zuckerberg's wall |website=The Verge |date=August 1, 2013 |access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref> | |||
On August 22, 2013, ] reported that ], a chief technology officer of the ] firm ], is prompting ] to help raise a $10,000 reward for Khalil Shreateh. On August 20, Maiffret stated that he had already raised $9,000 in his efforts, including the $2,000 he himself contributed. He and other hackers alike have denounced Facebook for refusing Shreateh compensation. Maiffret said: "He is sitting there in Palestine doing this research on a five-year-old laptop that looks like it is half broken. It's something that might help him out in a big way." Facebook representatives have since responded, "We will not change our practice of refusing to pay rewards to researchers who have tested vulnerabilities against real users." Facebook representatives also claimed they'd paid out over $1 million to individuals who have discovered bugs in the past.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Reuters |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hacker-exposed-facebook-bug-reward-210333258.html |title=Hacker who exposed Facebook bug to get reward from unexpected source |publisher=Yahoo! Finance |date=August 20, 2013 |access-date=August 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821154141/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hacker-exposed-facebook-bug-reward-210333258.html |archive-date=August 21, 2013 }}</ref> | |||
== Environmental impacts == | |||
{{See also|Green computing|Screen time#Environmental effects}} | |||
In 2010, ], Oregon, was chosen as the site for Facebook's new ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/facebook_picks_prineville_for.html|title=Facebook picks Prineville for its first data center|last=Rogoway|first=Mike|date=January 21, 2010|website=The Oregonian|access-date=January 21, 2010}}</ref> However, the center has been met with criticism from environmental groups such as ] because the power utility company contracted for the center, ], generates 60% of its electricity from coal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/youre-so-coal-trying-to-shame-facebook|title=You're 'So Coal': Angling to Shame Facebook | work=The New York Times | first=Leslie|last=Kaufman|date=September 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369306,00.asp|title=Greenpeace Attacks Facebook on Coal-Powered Data Center|work=]| first=Chloe| last= Albanesius |date=September 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/facebook-dump-coal190210 |title = Facebook update: Switch to renewable energy now Greening Facebook from within | publisher=Greenpeace |date=February 17, 2010}}</ref> In September 2010, Facebook received a letter from Greenpeace containing half a million signatures asking the company to cut its ties to ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Tonelli |first=Carla |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/09/friendly-push-for-facebook-to-dump-coal |title='Friendly' push for Facebook to dump coal|work=Reuters|date=September 1, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013021557/http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/09/friendly-push-for-facebook-to-dump-coal/ |archive-date=October 13, 2010 }}</ref> | |||
On April 21, 2011, Greenpeace released a report showing that of the top ten big brands in ], Facebook relied the most on coal for electricity for its data centers. At the time, data centers consumed up to 2% of all global electricity and this amount was projected to increase. ] of Greenpeace said "we are concerned that this new explosion in electricity use could lock us into old, polluting energy sources instead of the clean energy available today".<ref name="Dirty Data Report Card">{{cite web |publisher=] |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/climate/2011/Cool%20IT/dirty-data-report-greenpeace.pdf|title=Dirty Data Report Card|access-date=August 22, 2013}}</ref> | |||
On December 15, 2011, Greenpeace and Facebook announced together that Facebook would shift to use clean and renewable energy to power its own operations. Marcy Scott Lynn, of Facebook's sustainability program, said it looked forward "to a day when our primary energy sources are clean and renewable" and that the company is "working with Greenpeace and others to help bring that day closer".<ref name="Facebook and Greenpeace Settle Clean Energy Feud">{{cite web |publisher=] |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/12/15/facebook-greenpeace-settle-clean-energy-feud-after-two-year-campaign/ |title= Facebook and Greenpeace settle Clean Energy Feud |date=December 15, 2011 |access-date=August 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Facebook Commits to Clean Energy Future">{{cite web |publisher=Greenpeace |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Facebook-Commits-to-Clean-Energy-Future/ |title= Facebook Commits to Clean Energy Future |access-date=August 22, 2013}}</ref> | |||
In April 2022, Meta Platforms, ], ], ], and ] announced a $925 million ] of ] (CDR) from companies that are developing CDR technology over the next 9 years.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clifford|first=Catherine|date=April 12, 2022|title=Stripe teams up with major tech companies to commit $925 million toward carbon capture|publisher=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/12/stripe-alphabet-meta-shopify-mckinsey-spur-carbon-capture-market.html|access-date=July 6, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brigham|first=Katie|date=June 28, 2022|title=Why Big Tech is pouring money into carbon removal|publisher=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/28/why-companies-like-stripe-meta-and-alphabet-are-behind-carbon-removal.html|access-date=July 6, 2022}}</ref> In January 2023, the ] released an annual industry report that found that 326 corporations had contracted 77.4 gigawatts of wind or solar energy by the end of 2022 and that the three corporate purchasers of the largest volumes of wind and solar energy were Meta Platforms, ], and ]<ref>{{cite news|last=Clifford|first=Catherine|date=January 18, 2023|title=Amazon, Meta and Google buy more clean energy than any other companies|publisher=CNBC|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/amazon-meta-and-google-buy-more-clean-energy-than-any-other-companies.html|access-date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> | |||
== Advertising == | |||
=== Click fraud === | |||
In July 2012, startup Limited Run claimed that 80% of its Facebook ].<ref name="techcrunch">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/30/startup-claims-80-of-its-facebook-ad-clicks-are-coming-from-bots/ |title=Startup Claims 80% Of Its Facebook Ad Clicks Are Coming From Bots |website=TechCrunch.com |date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |url=https://latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-facebook-ads-80-percent-bots-20120730,0,1602559.story |title=Start-up says 80% of its Facebook ad clicks came from bots |website=Los Angeles Times |date= July 30, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Sengupta |first=Somini |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/bots-raise-their-heads-again-on-facebook/ |title=Bots Raise Their Heads Again on Facebook |website=Bits.blogs.nytimes.com |date=April 23, 2012 |access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> Limited Run co-founder Tom Mango told '']'' that they "spent roughly a month testing this" with six ] services including ] and in-house software.<ref name="techcrunch" /> Click fraud (Allege reason) Limited Run said it came to the conclusion that the clicks were fraudulent after running its own analysis. It determined that most of the clicks for which Facebook was charging it came from computers that were not loading Javascript, a programming language that allows Web pages to be interactive. Almost all Web browsers load Javascript by default, so the assumption is that if a click comes from one that is not, it's probably not a real person but a bot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2012/08/08/stung-by-click-fraud-allegations-facebook-reveals-how-its-fighting-back/|title=Stung By Click Fraud Allegations, Facebook Reveals How It's Fighting Back|first=Robert|last=Hof|website=Forbes|access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> | |||
=== Like fraud === | |||
Facebook offers an advertising tool for pages to get more "likes".<ref name="Facebook Advertising Tools">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/help/633662000000451/ |title=Guide to the Ads Create Tool |via=Facebook|access-date=June 11, 2014}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2020}} According to '']'', this advertising tool is called "Suggested Posts" or "Suggested Pages", allowing companies to market their page to thousands of new users for as little as $50.<ref name="Facebook Advertising">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-advertising-fake-likes-2014-2/ |title=Facebook Advertisers Complain Of A Wave Of Fake Likes Rendering Their Pages Useless |website=Business Insider|date=February 11, 2014 |access-date=June 11, 2014}}</ref> | |||
Global Fortune 100 firms are increasingly using social media marketing tools as the number of "likes" per Facebook page has risen by 115% globally.{{clarify|date=February 2015}}<ref name="To Be or Not to Be in Social Media Arena as the Most Cost-Efficient Marketing Strategy after the Global Recession">{{cite journal|title=Efficient Marketing Strategy |journal=Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences |volume=24 |pages=260–268 |date=October 5, 2011 |doi=10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.09.083|last1=Kirtiş |first1=A. Kazım |last2=Karahan |first2=Filiz |doi-access=free }}</ref> Biotechnology company Comprendia investigated Facebook's "likes" through advertising by analyzing the life science pages with the most likes. They concluded that at as much as 40% of "likes" from company pages are suspected to be fake.<ref name="Fake Users">{{cite web|url=http://comprendia.com/2012/08/01/are-40-of-life-science-company-facebook-page-likes-from-fake-users/ |title=Are 40% Of Life Science Company Facebook Page 'Likes' From Fake Users? |date=August 2012 |publisher=Comprendia|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> According to Facebook's annual report, an estimated 0.4% and 1.2% of active users are undesirable accounts that create fake likes.<ref name="Sec Filing">{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000132680114000007/fb-12312013x10k.htm#s51F87801223F60C3A7C3298EC93DB6AD/ |title=Facebook, Inc. Form 10K. |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission|date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> | |||
Small companies such as PubChase have publicly testified against Facebook's advertising tool, claiming legitimate advertising on Facebook creates fraudulent Facebook "likes". In May 2013, PubChase decided to build up its Facebook following through Facebook's advertising tool, which promises to "connect with more of the people who matter to you". After the first day, the company grew suspicious of the increased likes as they ended up with 900 likes from India. According to PubChase, none of the users behind the "likes" seemed to be scientists. The statistics from ] indicate that India is not in the company's main user base. PubChase continues by stating that Facebook has no interface to delete the fake likes; rather, the company must manually delete each follower themselves.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.pubchase.com/what-do-facebook-likes-of-companies-mean// |title=What Do Facebook "likes" of Companies Mean? |publisher=PubChase |date=January 23, 2014 |access-date=June 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703095330/http://blog.pubchase.com/what-do-facebook-likes-of-companies-mean/ |archive-date=July 3, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
In February 2014, ] used his YouTube account '']'' to upload a video titled "Facebook Fraud". Within three days, the video had gone viral with more than a million views (it has reached 6,371,759 views as of December 15, 2021). In the video, Derek illustrates how after paying US$50 to Facebook advertising, the "likes" to his fan page have tripled in a few days and soon reached 70,000 "likes", compared to his original 2,115 likes before the advertising. Despite the significant increase in likes, Derek noticed his page has actually decreased in engagement – there were fewer people commenting, sharing, and liking his posts and updates despite the significant increase in "likes". Derek also noticed that the users that "liked" his page were users that liked hundreds of other pages, including competing pages such as ] and ]. He theorizes that users are purposely clicking "like" on any and every page to deter attention away from the pages they were paid to "like". Derek claims, "I never bought fake likes, I used Facebook legitimate advertising, but the results are as if I paid for fake likes from a click farm".<ref name="Facebook Fraud">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/oVfHeWTKjag |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Facebook Fraud |via=YouTube|date=February 10, 2014 |access-date=June 11, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2015}} | |||
In response to the fake "likes" complaints, Facebook told '']'': | |||
{{cquote|We're always focused on maintaining the integrity of our site, but we've placed an increased focus on abuse from fake accounts recently. We've made a lot of progress by building a combination of automated and manual systems to block accounts used for fraudulent purposes and Like button clicks. We also take action against sellers of fake clicks and help shut them down.<ref name="Facebook Advertising" />}} | |||
=== Undesired targeting === | |||
On August 3, 2007, several British companies, including ], ], ], ], ] and ] pulled advertising in Facebook after finding that their ads were displayed on the page of the ], a far-right political party.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6929161.stm|work=BBC News|title=Firms withdraw BNP Facebook ads|date=August 3, 2007|access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref> | |||
=== Facilitation of housing discrimination === | |||
{{See also|Lookalike audience}} | |||
Facebook has faced allegations that its advertising platforms facilitate ] by means of internal functions for ], which allowed advertisers to target or exclude specific audiences from campaigns.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Researchers have also found that Facebook's advertising platform may be inherently discriminatory, since ad delivery is also influenced by how often specific demographics interact with specific types of advertising – even if they are not explicitly determined by the advertiser.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/4/18295190/facebook-ad-delivery-housing-job-race-gender-bias-study-northeastern-upturn|title=Facebook's ad delivery could be inherently discriminatory, researchers say|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=April 4, 2019|website=The Verge|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> | |||
Under the United States' ], it is illegal to show a preference for or against tenants based on specific ]es (including race, ethnicity, and disabilities), when advertising or negotiating the rental or sale of housing. In 2016, ] found that advertisers could target or exclude users from advertising based on an "Ethnic Affinity" – a demographic trait which is determined based on a user's interests and behaviors on Facebook, and not explicitly provided by the user. This could, in turn, be used to discriminate based on race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-lets-advertisers-exclude-users-by-race|title=Facebook Lets Advertisers Exclude Users by Race|author1=Julia Angwin|author1-link=Julia Angwin|author2=Terry Parris Jr|date=October 28, 2016|website=ProPublica|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> In February 2017, Facebook stated that it would implement stronger measures to forbid discriminatory advertising across the entire platform. Advertisers who attempt to create ads for housing, employment, or credit (HEC) opportunities would be blocked from using ethnic affinities (renamed "multicultural affinities" and now classified as behaviors) to target the ad. If an advertiser uses any other audience segment to target ads for HEC, they would be informed of the policies, and be required to affirm their compliance with relevant laws and policies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/02/improving-enforcement-and-promoting-diversity-updates-to-ads-policies-and-tools/|title=Improving Enforcement and Promoting Diversity: Updates to Ads Policies and Tools|date=February 8, 2017|via=Facebook|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
However, in November 2017, ProPublica found that automated enforcement of these new policies was inconsistent. They were also able to successfully create housing ads that excluded users based on interests and other factors that effectively imply associations with protected classes, including interests in ]s, the Spanish-language television network ], and New York City ZIP codes ]. In response to the report, Facebook temporarily removed the ability to target any ad with exclusions based on multicultural affinities.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/11/29/facebook-stop-allowing-advertisers-exclude-racial-and-ethnic-groups-targeting/905133001/|title=Facebook halts ads that exclude racial and ethnic groups|website=USA Today|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-advertising-discrimination-housing-race-sex-national-origin|title=Facebook (Still) Letting Housing Advertisers Exclude Users by Race|last=Julia Angwin|first=Ariana Tobin|date=November 21, 2017|website=ProPublica|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
In April 2018, Facebook permanently removed the ability to create exclusions based on multicultural affinities. In July 2018, Facebook signed a legally binding agreement with the ] to take further steps within 90 days to prevent the use of its advertising platform for housing discrimination against protected classes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/24/17609178/facebook-racial-dicrimination-ad-targeting-washington-state-attorney-general-agreement|title=Facebook signs agreement saying it won't let housing advertisers exclude users by race|last=Statt|first=Nick|date=July 24, 2018|website=The Verge|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> The following month, Facebook announced that it would remove at least 5,000 categories from its exclusion system to prevent "misuse", including those relating to races and religions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/21/17764480/facebook-ad-targeting-options-removal-housing-racial-discrimination|title=Facebook will remove 5,000 ad targeting categories to prevent discrimination|last=Statt|first=Nick|date=August 21, 2018|website=The Verge|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> On March 19, 2019, Facebook settled a lawsuit over the matter with the National Fair Housing Alliance, agreeing to create a separate portal for HEC advertising with limited targeting options by September 2019, and to provide a public archive of all HEC advertising.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/facebook-agrees-to-dismantle-targeted-advertising-system-for-job-housing-and-loan-ads-after-discrimination-complaints/2019/03/19/7dc9b5fa-4983-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html|title=Facebook agrees to overhaul targeted advertising system for job, housing and loan ads after discrimination complaints|date=March 19, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/facebook-inc-does-have-to-respect-civil-rights-legislation-after-all/585286/|title=Facebook Does Have to Respect Civil-Rights Legislation, After All|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis C.|date=March 20, 2019|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
On March 28, 2019, the ] (HUD) filed a lawsuit against Facebook, having filed a formal complaint against the company on August 13, 2018. The HUD also took issue with Facebook's tendency to deliver ads based on users having "particular characteristics most likely to engage with the ad".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/28/tech/facebook-hud-ad-discrimination/index.html|title=HUD charges Facebook with housing discrimination in ads|last=Yurieff|first=Kaya|date=March 28, 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/28/18285178/facebook-hud-lawsuit-fair-housing-discrimination|title=Facebook has been charged with housing discrimination by the US government|last=Brandom|first=Russell|date=March 28, 2019|website=The Verge|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
== Fake accounts == | |||
In August 2012, Facebook revealed that more than 83 million Facebook accounts (8.7% of total users) are fake accounts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook: About 83 million accounts are fake | |||
|newspaper=] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-08-03/cnbc-facebook-fake-accounts/56759964/1 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> These fake profiles consist of duplicate profiles, accounts for ] purposes and personal profiles for business, organization or non-human entities such as pets.<ref>{{cite news |title=Unreal: Facebook reveals 83 million fake profiles |newspaper=] |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/unreal-facebook-reveals-83-million-fake-profiles-20120803-23kzj.html |access-date=August 4, 2012}}</ref> As a result of this revelation, the share price of Facebook dropped below $20.<ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook share price slumps below $20 amid fake account flap |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/aug/02/facebook-share-price-slumps-20-dollars |access-date=August 4, 2012 |location=London |first=Dominic |last=Rushe |date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> Furthermore, there is much effort to detect fake profiles using automated means, in one such work, machine learning techniques are used to detect fake users.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gupta|first1=Aditi|title=2017 ISEA Asia Security and Privacy (ISEASP)|chapter=Towards detecting fake user accounts in facebook|journal=Asia Security and Privacy (ISEASP)|date=2017|pages=1–6|doi=10.1109/ISEASP.2017.7976996|isbn=978-1-5090-5942-3|s2cid=37561110}}</ref> | |||
Facebook initially refused to remove a "business" page devoted to a woman's ], created without her knowledge while she was underage, due to other Facebook users having expressed interest in the topic. After ] published a story about it, the page was finally removed. The page listed her family's former home address as that of the "business".<ref name="butthole">{{Cite web|url=https://hits1061seattle.iheart.com/content/2020-01-30-facebook-takes-4-years-to-remove-a-womans-butthole-as-a-business-page/|title=Facebook Takes 4 Years to Remove A Woman's Butthole as a Business Page|website=HITS 106.1}}</ref> | |||
== User interface == | |||
=== Upgrades === | |||
==== September 2008 ==== | |||
In September 2008, Facebook permanently moved its users to what they termed the "New Facebook" or Facebook 3.0.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Facebook Blog – Moving to the new Facebook|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=30074837130|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029204526/http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=30074837130|archive-date=October 29, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> This version contained several different features and a complete layout redesign. Between July and September, users had been given the option to use the new Facebook in place of the original design,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/|title=Facebook Newsroom|website=newsroom.fb.com}}</ref> or to return to the old design. | |||
Facebook's decision to migrate their users was met with some controversy in their community. Several ] started opposing the decision, some with over a million users.<ref>{{cite web|title=Petition against Facebook redesign fails as old version disabled|url=http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/39583/Petition+against+Facebook+redesign+fails+as+old+version.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912093200/http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/39583/Petition+against+Facebook+redesign+fails+as+old+version.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 12, 2012}}</ref> | |||
==== October 2009 ==== | |||
In October 2009, Facebook redesigned the news feed so that the user could view all types of things that their friends were involved with. In a statement, they said,<ref name="Facebook">{{cite web|url=http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&year=2009&month=10|title=facebook DEVELOPERS|last=Haugen|first=Austin|date=October 23, 2009|via=Facebook|access-date=October 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223060103/http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&year=2009&month=10|archive-date=December 23, 2009}}</ref> {{blockquote|your applications generate can show up in both views. The best way for your stories to appear in the News Feed filter is to create stories that are highly engaging, as high quality, interesting stories are most likely to garner likes and comments by the user's friends. | |||
}}This redesign was explained as:<ref name="Facebook" /> | |||
{{blockquote| | |||
News Feed will focus on popular content, determined by an algorithm based on interest in that story, including the number of times an item is liked or commented on. Live Feed will display all recent stories from a large number of a user's friends. | |||
}} | |||
The redesign was met immediately with criticism with users, many who did not like the amount of information that was coming at them. This was also compounded by the fact that people could not select what they saw. | |||
==== November/December 2009 ==== | |||
In November 2009, Facebook issued a proposed new privacy policy, and adopted it unaltered in December 2009. They combined this with a rollout of new privacy settings. This new policy declared certain information, including "lists of friends", to be "publicly available", with no privacy settings; it was previously possible to keep access to this information restricted. Due to this change, the users who had set their "list of friends" as private were forced to make it public without even being informed, and the option to make it private again was removed. This was protested by many people and privacy organizations such as the EFF.<ref name="EFF-2009-12-privacy">{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/12/facebooks-new-privacy-changes-good-bad-and-ugly|title=Facebook's New Privacy Changes: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly | Electronic Frontier Foundation|website=Eff.org|date=December 9, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> | |||
The change was described by Ryan Tate as ''Facebook's Great Betrayal'',<ref name="gawker-5426176">{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/5426176/facebooks-great-betrayal |title=Gawker.com |website=Gawker.com |date=December 13, 2009 |access-date=June 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517063406/http://gawker.com/5426176/facebooks-great-betrayal |archive-date=May 17, 2013 }}</ref> forcing user profile photos and friends lists to be visible in users' public listing, even for users who had explicitly chosen to hide this information previously,<ref name="EFF-2009-12-privacy" /> and making photos and personal information public unless users were proactive about limiting access.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dotrights.org/what-does-facebooks-privacy-transition-mean-you |title=What Does Facebook's Privacy Transition Mean for You? | ACLUNC dotRights |website=Dotrights.org |date=December 4, 2009 |access-date=December 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212225501/http://dotrights.org/what-does-facebooks-privacy-transition-mean-you |archive-date=December 12, 2009 }}</ref> For example, a user whose "Family and Relationships" information was set to be viewable by "Friends Only" would default to being viewable by "Everyone" (publicly viewable). That is, information such as the gender of the partner the user is interested in, relationship status, and family relations became viewable to those even without a Facebook account. Facebook was heavily criticized<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8405334.stm|title=Facebook faces criticism on privacy change|work=BBC News|date=December 10, 2008|access-date=December 13, 2009}}</ref> for both reducing its users' privacy and pushing users to remove privacy protections. Groups criticizing the changes include the ]<ref name="EFF-2009-12-privacy" /> and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=Nat_Petition_Facebook_Policy&JServSessionIdr004=tun9qkc7f3.app20a |title=ACLU.org |website=Secure.aclu.org |access-date=June 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224093555/https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=Nat_Petition_Facebook_Policy |archive-date=February 24, 2012 }}</ref> Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, had hundreds of personal photos and his events calendar exposed in the transition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/5423914/facebook-ceos-private-photos-exposed-by-the-new-open-facebook/gallery |title=Facebook CEO's Private Photos Exposed by the New 'Open' Facebook |website=Gawker.com |access-date=December 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214015731/http://gawker.com/5423914/facebook-ceos-private-photos-exposed-by-the-new-open-facebook/gallery |archive-date=December 14, 2009 }}</ref> Facebook has since re-included an option to hide friends lists from being viewable; however, this preference is no longer listed with other privacy settings, and the former ability to hide the friends list from selected people among one's own friends is no longer possible.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Caroline|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10413835-36.html|title=Facebook backtracks on public friend lists | The Social – CNET News|publisher=CNET|access-date=December 13, 2009|archive-date=December 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222085423/http://news.cnet.com//8301-13577_3-10413835-36.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Journalist Dan Gillmor deleted his Facebook account over the changes, stating he "can't entirely trust Facebook"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mediactive.com/2009/12/12/facebook-starting-over/ |title=Mediactive.com |website=Mediactive.com |date=December 12, 2009 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> and Heidi Moore at Slate's Big Money temporarily deactivated her account as a "conscientious objection".<ref>{{cite web |last=Oremus |first=Will |url=http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/sausage/2009/12/10/facebook-privacy-drop-dead |title=TheBigMoney.com |website=TheBigMoney.com |access-date=June 11, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724083819/http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/sausage/2009/12/10/facebook-privacy-drop-dead |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other journalists have been similarly disappointed and outraged by the changes.<ref name="gawker-5426176" /> Defending the changes, founder Mark Zuckerberg said "we decided that these would be the social norms now and we just went for it".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_zuckerberg_says_the_age_of_privacy_is_ov.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113145423/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_zuckerberg_says_the_age_of_privacy_is_ov.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 13, 2010 |title=ReadWriteWeb.com |website=ReadWriteWeb.com |access-date=June 11, 2013 }}</ref> The Office of the ] launched another investigation into Facebook's privacy policies after complaints following the change.<ref>{{cite news |author=Benny Evangelista |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?entry_id=56175 |title=Home |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 27, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2014 |archive-date=January 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124220329/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?entry_id=56175 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
==== January 2018 ==== | |||
Following a difficult 2017, marked by accusations of relaying ] and revelations about groups close to Russia which tried to influence the 2016 US presidential election (see ]) via advertisements on his service, Mark Zuckerberg, announced in his traditional January post: | |||
{{Blockquote | |||
|text="We're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions". | |||
|author=Mark Zuckerberg}} | |||
Following surveys on Facebook users,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Deppa|first1=Seetharaman|title=Facebook to Rank News Sources by Quality to Battle Misinformation|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-to-rank-news-sources-by-quality-to-battle-misinformation-1516394184|access-date=March 5, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> this desire for change will take the form of a reconfiguration of the ] algorithms to: | |||
*Prioritize content of family members and friends (Mark Zuckerberg January 12, Facebook:<ref name="auto">Mark Zuckerberg, , Facebook, January 12, 2018</ref> "The first changes you'll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups".) | |||
*Give priority to news articles from local sources considered more credible | |||
The recent changes of the News Feed algorithm<ref name="auto" /> (see content : ]) are expected to improve "the amount of meaningful content viewed".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Isaac|first1=Mike|title=Facebook Overhauls News Feed to Focus on What Friends and Family Share|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/technology/facebook-news-feed.html|access-date=March 5, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> To this end, the new algorithm is supposed to determine the publications around which a user is most likely to interact with his friends, and make them appear higher in the News Feed instead of items for example from media companies or brands. These are posts "that inspire back-and-forth discussion in the comments and posts that you might want to share and react to".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/01/news-feed-fyi-bringing-people-closer-together/ | |||
|title=News Feed FYI: Bringing People Closer Together|last=Mosseri|first=Adam|date=January 11, 2018|website=Facebook newsroom|access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref> But, as even Mark Zuckerberg admitted,<ref name="auto" /> he "expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down. But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable". The less public content a Facebook user sees on their ], the fewer brands are able to reach consumers. That's unarguably a major lose for advertisers<ref>{{cite news|last1=ENGEL BROMWICH|first1=JONAH|last2=HAAG|first2=MATTHEW|title=Facebook Is Changing. What Does That Mean for Your News Feed?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/technology/facebook-news-feed-changes.html|access-date=March 5, 2018|newspaper=]|date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> and publishers. | |||
This change which seems to be just another update of the social network, is widely criticized because of the heavy consequences it might lead to "In countries such as the Philippines, Myanmar and South Sudan and emerging democracies such Bolivia and Serbia, it is not ethical to plead platform neutrality or to set up the promise of a functioning news ecosystem and then simply withdraw at a whim".<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|last1=Bell|first1=Emily|title=Why Facebook's news feed changes are bad news for democracy | |||
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2018/jan/21/why-facebook-news-feed-changes-bad-news-democracy |access-date=March 11, 2018|work=The Guardian|date=January 21, 2018}}</ref> | |||
Indeed, in such countries, Facebook was the promise of a reliable and objective platform on which they could hope for raw information. Independent media companies tried to fight censorship through their articles and were promoting in a way the right for citizens to know what is going on in their countries. | |||
The company's way of handling scandals and criticism over ] by diminishing its media company image is even defined as "potentially deadly"<ref name="The Guardian" /> regarding the poor and fraught political environments like Myanmar or South Sudan appealed by the "free basics" programme of the social network. | |||
Serbian journalist Stevan Dojčinović goes further by describing Facebook as a "monster" and accuses the company of "showing a cynical lack of concern for how its decisions affect the most vulnerable".<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Dojčinović|first1=Stevan|title=Hey, Mark Zuckerberg: My Democracy Isn't Your Laboratory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2018/jan/21/why-facebook-news-feed-changes-bad-news-democracy |access-date=March 11, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=November 15, 2017}}</ref> | |||
Indeed, Facebook had experimented with withdrawing media companies' news on user's newsfeed in few countries such as Serbia. Stevan Docjcinovic then wrote an article explaining how Facebook helped them "to bypass mainstream channels and bring stories to hundreds of thousands of readers".<ref name="auto1" /> The rule about publishers is not being applied to paid posts raising the journalist's fears about the social network "becoming just another playground for the powerful"<ref name="auto1" /> by letting them for example buy Facebook ads. | |||
Critics are also visible in other media companies depicting the private company as the "destroyer of worlds". LittleThings CEO, Joe Speiser states that the algorithm shift "took out roughly 75% of LittleThings" organic traffic while hammering its profit margins"<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shields|first1=Mike|title=Facebook's algorithm has wiped out a once flourishing digital publisher|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/littlethings-online-publisher-shuts-down-and-blames-facebook-algorithm-2018-2|access-date=March 12, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=February 28, 2018}}</ref> compelling them to close their doors because they were relying on Facebook to share content. | |||
== Net neutrality == | |||
=== "Free Basics" controversy in India === | |||
In February 2016, ] ruled against differential data pricing for limited services from mobile phone operators effectively ending zero-rating platforms in India. Zero rating provides access to a limited number of websites for no charge to the end user. Net-neutrality supporters from India (]) brought out the negative implications of the Facebook Free Basic program and spread awareness to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.savetheinternet.in/what-facebook-wont-tell-you-about-freebasics/ |title=The top 10 facts about FreeBasics |date=December 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302080224/http://blog.savetheinternet.in/what-facebook-wont-tell-you-about-freebasics/ |archive-date=March 2, 2016 }}</ref> Facebook's Free Basics program<ref>{{cite web|url=https://info.internet.org/en/story/free-basics-from-internet-org/|title=Free Basics by Facebook|work=Internet.org}}</ref> was a collaboration with ] to launch Free Basics in India. The TRAI ruling against differential pricing marked the end of Free Basics in India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/PressRealease/Document/Press_Release_No_13%20.pdf |title=TRAI Releases the 'Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016' |publisher=TRAI |date=February 8, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208211507/http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/PressRealease/Document/Press_Release_No_13%20.pdf |archive-date=February 8, 2016 }}</ref> | |||
Earlier, Facebook had spent US$44 million in advertising and it implored all of its Indian users to send an email to the Telecom Regulatory Authority to support its program.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://backchannel.com/how-india-pierced-facebook-s-free-internet-program-6ae3f9ffd1b4 |title=How India Pierced Facebook's Free Internet Program |magazine=Wired |publisher=Backchannel |date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> TRAI later asked Facebook to provide specific responses from the supporters of Free Basics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/PressRealease/Document/PR-12012016.pdf |title=TRAI letter to Facebook |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219123100/http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/PressRealease/Document/PR-12012016.pdf |archive-date=February 19, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/net-neutrality-debate-trai-to-write-back-to-free-basics-supporters-784397 |title=Trai to Seek Specific Replies From Facebook Free Basic Supporters |agency=Press Trust of India |date=December 31, 2015}}</ref> | |||
== Treatment of potential competitors == | |||
In December 2018 details on Facebook's behavior against competitors surfaced. The UK parliament member Damian Collins released files from a court ruling between Six4Three and Facebook. According to those files, the social media company Twitter released its app Vine in 2013. Facebook blocked Vine's Access to its data.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/facebook-zuckerberg-datenschutz-1.4242037|title=Gut für die Welt, aber nicht für uns|last1=Brühl|first1=Jannis|year=2018|work=Süddeutsche Zeitung|access-date=December 10, 2018|last2=Tanriverdi|first2=Hakan|language=de|issn=0174-4917}}</ref> | |||
In July 2020, Facebook along with other tech giants ], ] and Google were accused of maintaining harmful power and anti-competitive strategies to quash potential competitors in the market.<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 30, 2020|title=Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful' power|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref> The CEOs of respective firms appeared in a teleconference on July 29, 2020, before the lawmakers of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|author=Brian Fung|title=Congress grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. Here are the big takeaways|date=July 29, 2020 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/tech/tech-antitrust-hearing-ceos/index.html|access-date=July 30, 2020|publisher=CNN}}</ref> | |||
== Influence on elections == | |||
In what is known as the ], Facebook users were targeted with political advertising without informed consent in an attempt to promote right-wing causes, including the ].<ref>{{Cite news |title=What Did Cambridge Analytica Do During The 2016 Election? |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/595338116/what-did-cambridge-analytica-do-during-the-2016-election |access-date=2022-04-30}}</ref> In addition to elections in the United States, Facebook has been implicated in electoral influence campaigns in places like Argentina, Kenya, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, as discussed in the 2019 documentary '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Anne |date=2019-08-01 |title='The Great Hack' Terrified Sundance Audiences, and Then the Documentary Got Even Scarier |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/08/the-great-hack-documentary-oscar-cambridge-analytica-1202162430/ |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=IndieWire |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Ed |title=The Great Hack: The story of Cambridge Analytica, Trump and Brexit |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/the-great-hack-the-story-of-cambridge-analytica-trump-and-brexit-1.3965788 |access-date=2022-04-30 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref> | |||
== Blocking wildfire news == | |||
In response to the '']'', ], which owns Facebook, began blocking access to news sites for Canadian users at the beginning of August 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Meta starts blocking news in Canada over law on paying publishers |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-starts-process-end-news-availability-canada-2023-08-01/ |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822081048/https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-starts-process-end-news-availability-canada-2023-08-01/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lindeman |first=Tracey |date=August 4, 2023 |title='Disaster': warning for democracy as experts condemn Meta over Canada news ban |work=] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/04/canada-meta-news-ban-facebook-fake |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826162605/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/04/canada-meta-news-ban-facebook-fake |url-status=live }}</ref> This also extended to local Canadian news stories about the wildfires,<ref name="fire:29">{{Cite news |last=Ljunggren |first=David |date=August 18, 2023 |title=Canada demands Meta lift news ban to allow wildfire info sharing |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/canada-demands-meta-lift-ban-news-allow-fires-info-be-shared-2023-08-18/ |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824212724/https://www.reuters.com/technology/canada-demands-meta-lift-ban-news-allow-fires-info-be-shared-2023-08-18/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a decision that was heavily criticized by Trudeau, local government officials, academics, researchers, and evacuees.<ref name="fire:30">{{Cite news |last1=Woolf |first1=Marie |last2=Walsh |first2=Marieke |last3=Smith |first3=Alanna |others=With a report from ] |date=August 21, 2023 |title=Trudeau accuses Facebook of prioritizing profits by blocking news access during wildfires |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-facebook-trudeau-wildfires-bill-c18/ |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824145856/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-facebook-trudeau-wildfires-bill-c18/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gillies |first=Rob |date=August 21, 2023 |title=Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slams Facebook for blocking Canada wildfire news |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-facebook-news-blocking-734a5bc05796e38a011c6c9a473efea8 |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825141252/https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-facebook-news-blocking-734a5bc05796e38a011c6c9a473efea8 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="fire:31">{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Pete |date=August 18, 2023 |title=N.W.T. wildfire evacuees say Facebook's news ban 'dangerous' in emergency situation |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nwt-wildfire-evacuation-meta-blocking-news-1.6939286 |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824212009/https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nwt-wildfire-evacuation-meta-blocking-news-1.6939286 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Ollie Williams of Yellowknife's Cabin Radio said that users had to resort to posting ] of news stories, as posting news directly would result in the link getting blocked.<ref name="fire:31" /><ref name="fire:29" /> | |||
Meta responded to these criticisms by stating that Canadians "can continue to use our technologies to connect with their communities and access reputable information from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations," and encouraged them to use ] feature.<ref name="fire:30" /><ref name="fire:32">{{Cite news |last=Alam |first=Hina |date=August 22, 2023 |title=Lack of local media, Meta's news block impact Northwest Territories residents' access to information |work=The Globe and Mail |agency=The Canadian Press |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-northwest-territories-under-threat-by-wildfires-and-lack-of-local-news-2/ |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824213142/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-northwest-territories-under-threat-by-wildfires-and-lack-of-local-news-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== See also == | |||
{{Portal|Companies|Internet}} | |||
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description ] --> | |||
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*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*'']'' | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
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<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order --> | |||
== References == | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
== Further reading == | |||
* {{cite magazine|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26834/|title=How Facebook Leveraged Publishers' Desperation to Build a Web-Wide Tracking System|last=Mims|first=Christopher|date=June 1, 2011|magazine=]|access-date=June 1, 2011|archive-date=February 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209002302/http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26834/|url-status=dead}} | |||
* . ''LifeIvy''. May 15, 2013 | |||
*{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/the-secret-agenda-of-a-facebook-quiz.html| title=The Secret Agenda of a Facebook Quiz |last=Funk|first=McKenzie|date=November 19, 2016|work=]|access-date=January 25, 2017}} | |||
* (May 26, 2017), '']'' | |||
*{{Citation | |||
| last=Lanchester | first=John | |||
| author-link = John Lanchester | |||
| title=You Are the Product | |||
| journal=] | |||
| volume=39 | number=16 | |||
| date= August 2017 | |||
| pages=3–10 | |||
|url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n16/john-lanchester/you-are-the-product}} | |||
* {{Citation | |||
| last=Oremus | first=Will | |||
| title=Are You Really the Product? The history of a dangerous idea | |||
| journal=] | |||
| date= April 2018 | |||
| volume=39 | |||
| issue=16 | |||
|url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n16/john-lanchester/you-are-the-product}} | |||
* {{Citation|first=Aaron|last=Greenspan|title=Reality Check:Facebook, Inc.|url=https://www.plainsite.org/realitycheck/facebook.html|date=January 24, 2019}} | |||
== External links == | |||
*{{commons category-inline}} | |||
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Facebook (and parent company Meta Platforms) has been the subject of criticism and legal action since it was founded in 2004. Criticisms include the outsize influence Facebook has on the lives and health of its users and employees, as well as Facebook's influence on the way media, specifically news, is reported and distributed. Notable issues include Internet privacy, such as use of a widespread "like" button on third-party websites tracking users, possible indefinite records of user information, automatic facial recognition software, and its role in the workplace, including employer-employee account disclosure. The use of Facebook can have negative psychological and physiological effects that include feelings of sexual jealousy, stress, lack of attention, and social media addiction that in some cases is comparable to drug addiction.
Facebook's operations have also received coverage. The company's electricity usage, tax avoidance, real-name user requirement policies, censorship policies, handling of user data, and its involvement in the United States PRISM surveillance program and Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal have been highlighted by the media and by critics. Facebook has come under scrutiny for 'ignoring' or shirking its responsibility for the content posted on its platform, including copyright and intellectual property infringement, hate speech, incitement of rape, violence against minorities, terrorism, fake news, Facebook murder, crimes, and violent incidents live-streamed through its Facebook Live functionality.
The company and its employees have also been subject to litigation cases over the years, with its most prominent case concerning allegations that CEO Mark Zuckerberg broke an oral contract with Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra to build the then-named "HarvardConnection" social network in 2004, instead allegedly opting to steal the idea and code to launch Facebook months before HarvardConnection began. The original lawsuit was eventually settled in 2009, with Facebook paying approximately $20 million in cash and 1.25 million shares. A new lawsuit in 2011 was dismissed. This, alongside another controversy involving Zuckerberg and fellow co-founder and former CFO Eduardo Saverin, was further explored in the 2010 American biographical drama film The Social Network. Some critics point to problems which they say will result in the demise of Facebook. Facebook has been banned by several governments for various reasons, including Syria, China, Iran and Russia.
Censorship
Main article: Censorship by FacebookWhile Facebook operates transparent policies around certain types of content moderation—such as the removing of hateful speech and images which contain sex or violence—the company has been criticized for selectively censoring information in nontransparent ways. Some examples of this include:
Censorship of criticism of Facebook
Newspapers regularly report stories of users who claim they've been censored on Facebook for being critical of Facebook itself, with their posts removed or made less visible. Examples include Elizabeth Warren in 2019 and Rotem Shtarkman in 2016.
In the context of media reports and lawsuits from people formerly working on Facebook content moderation, a former Facebook moderator (Chris Gray) has claimed that specific rules existed to monitor and sometimes target posts about Facebook which are anti-Facebook or criticize Facebook for some action, for instance by matching the keywords "Facebook" or "DeleteFacebook".
Facebook's search function has been accused of preventing users from searching for certain terms. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch has written about Facebook's possible censorship of "Ron Paul" as a search term. MoveOn.org's Facebook group for organizing protests against privacy violations could for a time not be found by searching. The very word privacy was also restricted.
Censorship around global politics
In 2015, it was reported that Facebook has a policy to censor anything related to Kurdish opposition against Turkey, such as maps of Kurdistan, flags of Kurdish armed terrorist groups (such as PKK and YPG), and criticism of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey.
In 2016, Facebook banned and also removed content regarding the Kashmir dispute.
During a podcast, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook suppressed all the coverage of Joe Biden's son's email leaks during the 2020 United States elections due to a general request from the FBI. The censored news claimed that the son of Joe Biden, who was vice-president in Obama's administration, used his father's influence to fix a deal with a Ukrainian businessman.
Censorship in line with US foreign policy
In 2021, Facebook was accused of censoring messages critical of Israel and supportive of Palestine. During conflict over the Sheikh Jarrah property dispute in 2021, Facebook was accused of deleting hundreds of posts critical of Israel. Senior Facebook officials apologized to the Palestinian Prime Minister for censoring pro-Palestinian voices.
In October 2021, a secret blacklist of "dangerous individuals and organizations" maintained by Facebook was discovered by The Intercept, which revealed censorship in the MENA region was stricter than in USA. Critics and scholars have argued the blacklist and the guideline stifles free discussion, as well as enforcing an uneven enforcement of the rules.
Privacy issues
Main articles: Privacy concerns with Facebook and Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandalFacebook has faced a number of privacy concerns; for instance, in August 2019, it was revealed that the company had enlisted contractors to generate transcripts of users' audio chats. The contractors were tasked with re-transcribing the conversations in order to gauge the accuracy of the automatic transcription tool. In part these concerns stem from the company's revenue model that involves selling information about its users, and the loss of privacy this could entail. In addition, employers and other organizations and individuals have been known to use Facebook data for their own purposes. As a result peoples' identities have sometimes been revealed without their permission. In response, pressure groups and governments have increasingly asserted the users' right to privacy and to control their personal data.
Psychological/sociological effects
See also: Digital media use and mental health, Evolutionary medicine, Evolutionary mismatch, Evolutionary psychiatry, and Screen timeIn addition to noting with evolutionary biologist George C. Williams in the development of evolutionary medicine that most chronic medical conditions are the consequence of evolutionary mismatches between a stateless environment of nomadic hunter-gatherer life in bands and contemporary human life in sedentary technologically modern state societies (e.g. WEIRD societies), psychiatrist Randolph M. Nesse has argued that evolutionary mismatch is an important factor in the development of certain mental disorders. In 1948, 50 percent of U.S. households owned at least one automobile. In 2000, a majority of U.S. households had at least one personal computer and internet access the following year. In 2002, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported having a mobile phone. In September 2007, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported having broadband internet at home. In January 2013, a majority of U.S. survey respondents reported owning a smartphone.
Facebook addiction
See also: Digital media use and mental health § ADHD, Human multitasking, Media multitasking, Mobile phones and driving safety, Problematic social media use, and Texting while drivingThe "World Unplugged" study, which was conducted in 2011, claims that for some users quitting social networking sites is comparable to quitting smoking or giving up alcohol. Another study conducted in 2012 by researchers from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in the United States found that drugs like alcohol and tobacco could not keep up with social networking sites regarding their level of addictiveness. A 2013 study in the journal CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that some users decided to quit social networking sites because they felt they were addicted. In 2014, the site went down for about 30 minutes, prompting several users to call emergency services.
In April 2015, the Pew Research Center published a survey of 1,060 U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 who reported that nearly three-quarters of them either owned or had access to a smartphone, 92 percent went online daily with 24 percent saying they went online "almost constantly". In March 2016, Frontiers in Psychology published a survey of 457 post-secondary student Facebook users (following a face validity pilot of another 47 post-secondary student Facebook users) at a large university in North America showing that the severity of ADHD symptoms had a statistically significant positive correlation with Facebook usage while driving a motor vehicle and that impulses to use Facebook while driving were more potent among male users than female users.
In June 2018, Children and Youth Services Review published a regression analysis of 283 adolescent Facebook users in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Northern Italy (that replicated previous findings among adult users) showing that adolescents reporting higher ADHD symptoms positively predicted Facebook addiction, persistent negative attitudes about the past and that the future is predetermined and not influenced by present actions, and orientation against achieving future goals, with ADHD symptoms additionally increasing the manifestation of the proposed category of psychological dependence known as "problematic social media use".
In October 2023, court documents in the US alleged Meta of designing its platforms deliberately to develop addiction in children using them. The company knowingly allowed underage users to hold accounts, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. According to whistleblower Frances Haugen, the company intentionally targets children below the age of 18.
Self-harm and suicide
Main articles: Social media and suicide and 2021 Facebook leakResearch shows that people who are feeling suicidal use the internet to search for suicide methods. Websites provide graphic details and information on how to take your own life. This cannot be right. Where this content breaches the policies of internet and social media providers it must be removed.
— Matt Hancock, Health Secretary of the United Kingdom
I do not think it is going too far to question whether even you, the owners, any longer have any control over content. If that is the case, then children should not be accessing your services at all, and parents should be aware that the idea of any authority overseeing algorithms and content is a mirage.
— Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England
In January 2019, both the Health Secretary of the United Kingdom, and the Children's Commissioner for England, urged Facebook and other social media companies to take responsibility for the risk to children posed by content on their platforms related to self-harm and suicide.
Envy
See also: Bandwagon effect, Conspicuous consumption, Conspicuous leisure, Consumerism, Issues in higher education in the United States § Financial value of degrees, LinkedIn § Research on labor market effects, Overtourism, Social aspects of television § Psychological effects, Tragedy of the commons, and Viral marketingFacebook has been criticized for making people envious and unhappy due to the constant exposure to positive yet unrepresentative highlights of their peers. Such highlights include, but are not limited to, journal posts, videos, and photos that depict or reference such positive or otherwise outstanding activities, experiences, and facts. This effect is caused mainly by the fact that most users of Facebook usually only display the positive aspects of their lives while excluding the negative, though it is also strongly connected to inequality and the disparities between social groups as Facebook is open to users from all classes of society. Sites such as AddictionInfo.org state that this kind of envy has profound effects on other aspects of life and can lead to severe depression, self-loathing, rage and hatred, resentment, feelings of inferiority and insecurity, pessimism, suicidal tendencies and desires, social isolation, and other issues that can prove very serious. This condition has often been called "Facebook Envy" or "Facebook Depression" by the media.
In 2010, Social Science Computer Review published research by economists Ralf Caers and Vanessa Castelyns who sent an online questionnaire to 398 and 353 LinkedIn and Facebook users respectively in Belgium and found that both sites had become tools for recruiting job applicants for professional occupations as well as additional information about applicants, and that it was being used by recruiters to decide which applicants would receive interviews. In 2017, sociologist Ofer Sharone conducted interviews with unemployed workers to research the effects of LinkedIn and Facebook as labor market intermediaries and found that social networking services (SNS) have had a filtration effect that has little to do with evaluations of merit, and that the SNS filtration effect has exerted new pressures on workers to manage their careers to conform to the logic of the SNS filtration effect.
A joint study conducted by two German universities demonstrated Facebook envy and found that as many as one out of three people actually feel worse and less satisfied with their lives after visiting the site. Vacation photos were found to be the most common source of feelings of resentment and jealousy. After that, social interaction was the second biggest cause of envy, as Facebook users compare the number of birthday greetings, likes, and comments to those of their friends. Visitors who contributed the least tended to feel the worst. "According to our findings, passive following triggers invidious emotions, with users mainly envying happiness of others, the way others spend their vacations; and socialize", the study states.
A 2013 study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that the more people used Facebook, the worse they felt afterwards.
Narcissistic users who show excessive grandiosity give negative emotion to viewers and cause envy, but as a result, that may cause viewers' loneliness. Viewers sometimes need to terminate relationships with them to avoid this negative emotion. However, this "avoidance" such as "terminate relationships" would be reinforcement and it may lead to loneliness. The cyclical pattern is a vicious circle of loneliness and avoidance coping, the study states.
Divorce
See also: Coolidge effect, Online dating service § Social trends and public opinions, Sexual jealousy, and Social aspects of television § Psychological effectsSocial networks, like Facebook, can have a detrimental effect on marriages, with users becoming worried about their spouse's contacts and relations with other people online, leading to marital breakdown and divorce. According to a 2009 survey in the UK, around 20 percent of divorce petitions included references to Facebook. Facebook has given us a new platform for interpersonal communication. Researchers proposed that high levels of Facebook use could result in Facebook-related conflict and breakup/divorce. Previous studies have shown that romantic relationships can be damaged by excessive Internet use, Facebook jealousy, partner surveillance, ambiguous information, and online portrayal of intimate relationships. Excessive Internet users reported having greater conflict in their relationships. Their partners feel neglected and there's lower commitment and lower feelings of passion and intimacy in the relationship. According to the article, researchers suspect that Facebook may contribute to an increase in divorce and infidelity rates in the near future due to the amount and ease of accessibility to connect with past partners. The use of Facebook can cause feelings of sexual jealousy.
Stress
Research performed by psychologists from Edinburgh Napier University indicated that Facebook adds stress to users' lives. Causes of stress included fear of missing important social information, fear of offending contacts, discomfort or guilt from rejecting user requests or deleting unwanted contacts or being unfriended or blocked by Facebook friends or other users, the displeasure of having friend requests rejected or ignored, the pressure to be entertaining, criticism or intimidation from other Facebook users, and having to use appropriate etiquette for different types of friends. Many people who started using Facebook for positive purposes or with positive expectations have found that the website has negatively impacted their lives.
Next to that, the increasing number of messages and social relationships embedded in SNS also increases the amount of social information demanding a reaction from SNS users. Consequently SNS users perceive they are giving too much social support to other SNS friends. This dark side of SNS usage is called 'social overload'. It is caused by the extent of usage, number of friends, subjective social support norms, and type of relationship (online-only vs offline friends) while age has only an indirect effect. The psychological and behavioral consequences of social overload include perceptions of SNS exhaustion, low user satisfaction, and high intentions to reduce or stop using SNS.
Narcissism
Main articles: Digital media use and mental health § NPD, Narcissistic personality disorder, Dark triad, Facebook like button, Microblogging, Reblogging, Selfie, Slacktivism, and Virtue signalling See also: Fear of missing out, Law of effect, Like button, Mass shootings in the United States § Contributing factors, Objectification, Problematic social media use, Social rejection, Tokenism, and White saviorIn July 2018, a meta-analysis published in Psychology of Popular Media found that grandiose narcissism positively correlated with time spent on social media, frequency of status updates, number of friends or followers, and frequency of posting self-portrait digital photographs, while a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Personality in April 2018 found that the positive correlation between grandiose narcissism and social networking service usage was replicated across platforms (including Facebook). In March 2020, the Journal of Adult Development published a regression discontinuity analysis of 254 Millennial Facebook users investigating differences in narcissism and Facebook usage between the age cohorts born from 1977 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2000 and found that the later born Millennials scored significantly higher on both. In June 2020, Addictive Behaviors published a systematic review finding a consistent, positive, and significant correlation between grandiose narcissism and the proposed category of psychological dependence called "problematic social media use". Also in 2018, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and FIRE President Greg Lukianoff noted in The Coddling of the American Mind that former Facebook president Sean Parker stated in a 2017 interview that the Like button was consciously designed to prime users receiving likes to feel a dopamine rush as part of a "social-validation feedback loop".
"Conspicuous compassion" is the practice of publicly donating large sums of money to charity to enhance the social prestige of the donor, and is sometimes described as a type of conspicuous consumption. Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff argued that microaggression training on college campuses in the United States has led to a call-out culture and a climate of self-censorship due to fear of shaming by virtue signalling social media mobs with users who are often anonymous and tend to deindividuate as a consequence. Citing February 2017 Pew Research Center survey data showing that critical Facebook postings expressing "indignant disagreement" were twice as likely to receive likes, comments, or shares (along with a similar finding for Twitter posts published in PNAS USA in July 2017), Haidt and Tobias Rose-Stockwell cite the phrase "moral grandstanding" to describe how having an audience on social media forums converts much of its interpersonal communication into a public performance.
Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the subsequent protests in his name, Civiqs and YouGov/Economist polls showed that while net support for Black Lives Matter among White Americans increased from –4 points to +10 points in early June 2020 (with 43 percent in support), falling to –6 points by early August 2020, and by April 2021, further Civiqs polls showed that support for Black Lives Matter among White Americans had reverted to roughly its level of support prior to George Floyd's murder (37 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed). In a February 2021 interview on Firing Line, journalist Charles M. Blow criticized a minority of young white protestors in the George Floyd protests in the United States whom he argued were using the protests for their own personal growth to substitute for social rites of passage (e.g. prom) and summertime social gatherings (e.g. attending movie theaters or concerts) that were precluded by COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures, noting that as lockdowns began to be relaxed and removed, support for Black Lives Matter among whites began to decline.
In February 2021, Psychological Medicine published a survey reviewing 14,785 publicly reported murders in English language news worldwide between 1900 and 2019 compiled in a database by psychiatrists at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Columbia University Irving Medical Center that found that of the 1,315 personal-cause mass murders (i.e. driven by personal motivations and not occurring within the context of war, state-sponsored or group-sponsored terrorism, gang activity, or organized crime) only 11 percent of mass murderers and only 8 percent of mass shooters had a "serious mental illness" (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder), that mass shootings have become more common than other forms of mass murder since 1970 (with 73 percent occurring in the United States alone), and that mass shooters in the United States were more likely to have legal histories, to engage in recreational drug use or alcohol abuse, and to display non-psychotic psychiatric or neurologic symptoms.
Survey coauthor psychiatrist Paul S. Appelbaum argued that the data from the survey indicated that "difficulty coping with life events seem more useful foci for prevention and policy than an emphasis on serious mental illness", while psychiatrist Ronald W. Pies has suggested that psychopathology should be understood as a three-gradation continuum of mental, behavioral and emotional disturbance with most mass shooters falling into a middle category of "persistent emotional disturbance". In 2015, psychiatrists James L. Knoll and George D. Annas noted that the tendency of most media attention following mass shootings on mental health leads to sociocultural factors being comparatively overlooked. Instead, Knoll and Annas cite research by social psychologists Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell on narcissism and social rejection in the personal histories of mass shooters, as well as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker's suggestion in The Better Angels of Our Nature (2011) that further reductions in human violence may be dependent upon reducing human narcissism.
Non-informing, knowledge-eroding medium
Main articles: News Feed, Facebook Files, Big data, Confirmation bias, Echo chamber (media), Facebook like button, Filter bubble, Infotainment, Political polarization, and Radicalization See also: Like button, Negative partisanship, Online youth radicalization, Political polarization in the United States, and Social aspects of television § Political polarizationFacebook is a Big Tech company with over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020 and therefore has a meaningful impact on the masses that use it. Big data algorithms are used in personalized content creation and automatization; however, this method can be used to manipulate users in various ways. The problem of misinformation is exacerbated by the educational bubble, users' critical thinking ability and news culture. Based on a 2015 study, 62.5% of the Facebook users are oblivious to any curation of their News Feed. Furthermore, scientists have started to investigate algorithms with unexpected outcomes that may lead to antisocial political, economic, geographic, racial, or other discrimination. Facebook has remained scarce in transparency of the inner workings of the algorithms used for News Feed correlation. Algorithms use the past activities as a reference point for predicting users' taste to keep them engaged. However, this leads to the formation of a filter bubble that starts to refrain users from diverse information. Users are left with a skewed worldview derived from their own preferences and biases.
In 2015, researchers from Facebook published a study indicating that the Facebook algorithm perpetuates an echo chamber amongst users by occasionally hiding content from individual feeds that users potentially would disagree with: for example the algorithm removed one in every 13 diverse content from news sources for self-identified liberals. In general, the results from the study indicated that the Facebook algorithm ranking system caused approximately 15% less diverse material in users' content feeds, and a 70% reduction in the click-through-rate of the diverse material. In 2018, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and FIRE President Greg Lukianoff argued in The Coddling of the American Mind that the filter bubbles created by the News Feed algorithm of Facebook and other platforms are one of the principal factors amplifying political polarization in the United States since 2000 (when a majority of U.S. households first had at least one personal computer and then internet access the following year).
In his Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), philosopher Edmund Burke observed "We are afraid to put men to live and trade each on his own private stock of reason; because we suspect that this stock in each man is small, and that the individuals would do better to avail themselves of the general bank and capital of nations and of ages." In The Signal and the Noise (2012), statistician Nate Silver noted that IBM had estimated that the world was generating 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day (more than 90 percent of which was created in the previous two years), and that the increase in data was analogous to increases in book production as a consequence of the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg as well as the effect of the increase in book production in causing the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, and the European wars of religion.
Citing Burke, Jonathan Haidt and Tobias Rose-Stockwell suggested in The Atlantic in December 2019 that because the proportion of most of the information that Generation Z receives due to regular social media usage is information created primarily within the past month (e.g. cat videos, tabloid gossip about celebrities, sensationalistic hot takes on news items) rather than information created in decades or centuries past, members of Generation Z are less familiar with the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of humanity (e.g. great ideas, great books, history) than generations past, and as a consequence, are more prone to embrace misguided ideas that bring them greater esteem and prestige within their immediate social network (noting the declining faith among Generation Z in democracy across the ideological spectrum in polling data alongside renewed interest in socialism, communism, and Nazism that is reflective of ignorance of the history of the 20th century).
Facebook has, at least in the political field, a counter-effect on being informed: in two studies from the US with a total of more than 2,000 participants, the influence of social media on the general knowledge on political issues was examined in the context of two US presidential elections. The results showed that the frequency of Facebook use was moderately negatively related to general political knowledge. This was also the case when considering demographic, political-ideological variables and previous political knowledge. According to the latter, a causal relationship is indicated: the higher the Facebook use, the more the general political knowledge declines. In 2019, Jonathan Haidt argued that there is a "very good chance American democracy will fail, that in the next 30 years we will have a catastrophic failure of our democracy." Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, in February 2021, Facebook announced that it would reduce the amount of political content in users News Feeds.
Other psychological effects
It has been admitted by many students that they have experienced bullying on the site, which leads to psychological harm. High school students face a possibility of bullying and other adverse behaviors over Facebook every day. Many studies have attempted to discover whether Facebook has a positive or negative effect on children's and teenagers' social lives, and many of them have come to the conclusion that there are distinct social problems that arise with Facebook usage. British neuroscientist Susan Greenfield stuck up for the issues that children encounter on social media sites, stating that these sites can rewire the brain, which caused some hysteria regarding the safety of social media usage. She did not back up her claims with research, but did cause quite a few studies to be done on the subject. When an individual's self-image is broken down by others as a result of badmouthing, criticism, harassment, criminalization or vilification, intimidation, demonization, demoralization, belittlement, or attacking someone over the site, it can cause much of the envy, anger, or depression users report feeling after prolonged Facebook usage.
Sherry Turkle, in her book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, argues that social media brings people closer and further apart at the same time. One of the main points she makes is that there is a high risk in treating persons online with dispatch like objects. Although people are networked on Facebook, their expectations of each other tend to be lessened. According to Turkle, this could cause a feeling of loneliness in spite of being together.
Between 2016 and 2018, the number of 12- to 15-year-olds who reported being bullied over social media rose from 6% to 11%, in the region covered by Ofcom.
User influence experiments
Academic and Facebook researchers have collaborated to test if the messages people see on Facebook can influence their behavior. For instance, in "A 61-Million-Person Experiment in Social Influence And Political Mobilization", during the 2010 elections, Facebook users were given the opportunity to "tell your friends you voted" by clicking on an "I voted" button. Users were 2% more likely to click the button if it was associated with friends who had already voted.
Much more controversially, a 2014 study of "Emotional Contagion Through Social Networks" manipulated the balance of positive and negative messages seen by 689,000 Facebook users. The researchers concluded that they had found "some of the first experimental evidence to support the controversial claims that emotions can spread throughout a network, the effect sizes from the manipulations are small."
Unlike the "I voted" study, which had presumptively beneficial ends and raised few concerns, this study was criticized for both its ethics and methods/claims. As controversy about the study grew, Adam Kramer, a lead author of both studies and member of the Facebook data team, defended the work in a Facebook update. A few days later, Sheryl Sandburg, Facebook's COO, made a statement while traveling abroad. While at an Indian Chambers of Commerce event in New Delhi she stated that "This was part of ongoing research companies do to test different products, and that was what it was. It was poorly communicated and for that communication we apologize. We never meant to upset you."
Shortly thereafter, on July 3, 2014, USA Today reported that the privacy watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) had filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission claiming that Facebook had broken the law when it conducted the study on the emotions of its users without their knowledge or consent. In its complaint, EPIC alleged that Facebook had deceived users by secretly conducting a psychological experiment on their emotions: "At the time of the experiment, Facebook did not state in the Data Use Policy that user data would be used for research purposes. Facebook also failed to inform users that their personal information would be shared with researchers."
Beyond the ethical concerns, other scholars criticized the methods and reporting of the study's findings. John Grohol, writing for Psych Central, argued that despite its title and claims of "emotional contagion", this study did not look at emotions at all. Instead, its authors used an application (called "Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count" or LIWC 2007) that simply counted positive and negative words to infer users' sentiments. He wrote that a shortcoming of the LIWC tool is that it does not understand negations. Hence, the tweet "I am not happy" would be scored as positive: "Since the LIWC 2007 ignores these subtle realities of informal human communication, so do the researchers." Grohol concluded that given these subtleties, the effect size of the findings are little more than a "statistical blip".
Kramer et al. (2014) found a 0.07%—that's not 7 percent, that's 1/15th of one percent!!—decrease in negative words in people's status updates when the number of negative posts on their Facebook news feed decreased. Do you know how many words you'd have to read or write before you've written one less negative word due to this effect? Probably thousands.
The consequences of the controversy are pending (be it FTC or court proceedings) but it did prompt an "Editorial Expression of Concern" from its publisher, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as a blog posting from OkCupid titled "We experiment on human beings!" In September 2014, law professor James Grimmelmann argued that the actions of both companies were "illegal, immoral, and mood-altering" and filed notices with the Maryland Attorney General and Cornell Institutional Review Board.
In the UK, the study was also criticized by the British Psychological Society which said, in a letter to The Guardian, "There has undoubtedly been some degree of harm caused, with many individuals affected by increased levels of negative emotion, with consequent potential economic costs, increase in possible mental health problems and burden on health services. The so-called 'positive' manipulation is also potentially harmful."
Tax avoidance
See also: Ireland as a tax havenFacebook uses a complicated series of shell companies in tax havens to avoid paying billions of dollars in corporate tax. According to The Express Tribune, Facebook is among the corporations that "avoided billions of dollars in tax using offshore companies." For example, Facebook routes billions of dollars in profits using the Double Irish and Dutch Sandwich tax avoidance schemes to bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad concluded from the Paradise Papers published in late 2017 that Facebook pays "practically no taxes" worldwide.
For example, Facebook paid:
- In 2011, £2.9m tax on £840m profits in the UK;
- In 2012 and 2013 no tax in the UK;
- In 2014 £4,327 tax on hundreds of millions of pounds in UK revenues which were transferred to tax havens.
According to economist and member of the PvdA delegation inside the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D) Paul Tang, between 2013 and 2015 the EU lost an estimated €1,453m – €2,415m to Facebook. When comparing to others countries outside the EU, the EU is only taxing Facebook with a rate of 0.03% to 0.1% of its revenue (around 6% of its EBT) whereas this rate is near 28% in countries outside the EU. Even had a rate between 2% and 5% been applied during this period – as suggested by the ECOFIN Council – a fraud of this rate by Facebook would have meant a loss to the EU between €327m and €817m.
Revenue (m EUR) | EBT (m EUR) | Tax (m EUR) | Tax / EBT | Tax / Revenue | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | EU | Rest of the world | Total | EU | Rest of the world | Total | EU | Rest of the world | Total | EU | Rest of the world | Total | EU | Rest of the world | ||
Facebook Inc. | 2013 | 5,720 | 3,069 | 2,651 | 2,001 | (4) | 2,005 | 911 | 3 | 908 | 46% | n.a | 45% | 15.93% | 0.10% | 34.25% |
2014 | 10,299 | 5,017 | 5,282 | 4,057 | (20) | 4,077 | 1,628 | 5 | 1,623 | 40% | n.a | 40% | 15.81% | 0.09% | 30.73% | |
2015 | 16,410 | 8,253 | 8,157 | 5,670 | (43) | 5,627 | 2,294 | 3 | 2,291 | 40% | 6% | 41% | 13.98% | 0.03% | 28.09% |
On July 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a petition in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, asking for a court order to enforce an administrative summons issued to Facebook, Inc., under Internal Revenue Code section 7602, in connection with an Internal Revenue Service examination of Facebook's year 2010 U.S. Federal income tax return.
In November 2017, the Irish Independent recorded that for the 2016 financial year, Facebook had paid €30 million of Irish corporation tax on €12.6 billion of revenues that were routed through Ireland, giving an Irish effective tax rate of under 1%. The €12.6 billion of 2016 Facebook revenues routed through Ireland was almost half of Facebook's global revenues. In April 2018, Reuters wrote that all of Facebook's non–U.S. accounts were legally housed in Ireland for tax purposes, but were being moved due to the May 2018 EU GDPR regulations.
In November 2018, the Irish Times reported that Facebook routed over €18.7 billion of revenues through Ireland (almost half all global revenues), on which it paid €38 million of Irish corporation tax.
Treatment of employees, moderators and contractors
Moderators
See also: Cognizant § Working conditions and mental health issues, and Arvato § Facebook content moderationFacebook hires some employees through contractors, including Accenture, Arvato, Cognizant, CPL Resources, and Genpact, to serve as content moderators, reviewing potentially problematic content posted to both Facebook and Instagram. Many of these contractors face unrealistic expectations, harsh working conditions, and constant exposure to disturbing content, including graphic violence, animal abuse, and child pornography. Contractor employment is contingent on achieving and maintaining a score of 98 on a 100-point scale on a metric known as "accuracy". Falling below a score of 98 can result in dismissal. Some have reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from lack of access to counseling, coupled with unforgiving expectations and the violent content they are assigned to review.
Content moderator Keith Utley, who was employed by Cognizant, experienced a heart attack during work in March 2018; the office lacked a defibrillator, and Utley was transported to a hospital where he died. Selena Scola, an employee of contractor Pro Unlimited, Inc., sued her employer after she developed PTSD as a result of "constant and unmitigated exposure to highly toxic and extremely disturbing images at the workplace". In December 2019, former CPL employee Chris Gray began legal action in the High Court of Ireland, claiming damages for PTSD experienced as a moderator, the first of an estimated 20+ pending cases. In February 2020, employees in Tampa, Florida filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Cognizant alleging they developed PTSD and related mental health impairments as a result of constant and unmitigated exposure to disturbing content.
In February 2020, the European Union Commissioners criticized the plans that Facebook has for dealing with the working conditions of those who are contracted to moderate content on the social media platform.
Facebook agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $52 million on May 12, 2020, which included a $1,000 payment to each of the 11,250 moderators in the class, with additional compensation available for the treatment of PTSD and other conditions resulting from the jobs.
Employees
Plans for a Facebook-owned real estate development known as "Willow Village" have been criticized for resembling a "company town", which often curtails the rights of residents, and encourages or forces employees to remain within an environment created and monitored by their employer outside of work hours. Critics have referred to the development as "Zucktown" and "Facebookville" and the company has faced additional criticism for the effect it will have on existing communities in California.
The operational manager at Facebook as of March 2021, along with three former candidates of the Facebook hiring process complained to the EEOC of racial bias being practiced at the company against Black people. The current employee, Oscar Veneszee Jr. accused the firm of conducting subjective evaluations and pushing the idea of racial stereotypes. The EEOC has labeled the practice as "systemic" racial bias and has initiated an investigation.
Misleading campaigns against competitors
In May 2011, emails were sent to journalists and bloggers making critical allegations about Google's privacy policies; however, it was later discovered that the anti-Google campaign, conducted by PR giant Burson-Marsteller, was paid for by Facebook in what CNN referred to as "a new level skullduggery" and which Daily Beast called a "clumsy smear". While taking responsibility for the campaign, Burson-Marsteller said it should not have agreed to keep its client's (Facebook's) identity a secret. "Whatever the rationale, this was not at all standard operating procedure and is against our policies, and the assignment on those terms should have been declined", it said.
In December 2020, Apple Inc. announced an initiative of Anti-Tracking measures (opt-in tracking policy) to be introduced to their App Store Services. Facebook quickly reacted and started to criticise the initiative, claiming the Apple's anti-tracking privacy focused change will have "harmful impact on many small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat and on the free internet that we all rely on more than ever". Facebook also launched a so-called "Speak Up For Small Businesses" page. Apple in their response stated that "users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites – and they should have the choice to allow that or not". Apple was also backed up by Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) who stated that "Facebook touts itself in this case as protecting small businesses, and that couldn't be further from the truth".
In March 2022, The Washington Post revealed that Facebook had partnered with Republican consulting firm Targeted Victory to orchestrate a campaign to damage the public reputation of competitor TikTok.
Copying competitors' products and features
Beyond acquiring competitors in the social and messaging space with strong potential, Facebook often simply copies products or features to get to the market faster. Internal emails have shown that Facebook's leadership, including Mark Zuckerberg were frustrated by the time the company spends on prototyping, and suggested to explore copying entire products like Pinterest. "Copying is faster than innovating" – admitted an employee on the internal email thread, which continued: "If you gave the top-down order to go ahead, copy e.g. Pinterest or the gaming dynamics on Foursquare ... I am sure very small team of engineers, a , and a designer would get it done super quickly."
Many Facebook employees seem to be questioning Facebook's approach of cloning competitors. According to leaks, a top quoted question in Facebook's internal all-hands was: "What is our next big product, which does not imitate already existing products on the market?"
Snapchat
In June 2014, Facebook launched Slingshot, an app for sending ephemeral photos like Snapchat does. In August 2016, the company released Facebook Stories, which is a copy of Snapchat's most popular feature.
TikTok
In August 2020, Facebook built Instagram Reels, a feature that functioned and looked similar to TikTok.
For several months, Facebook was experimenting with an app called Hobbi, which took many cues from Pinterest.
Clubhouse
In the summer of 2021, Facebook started to roll out Live Audio Rooms, which resembles Clubhouse.
Content
Main article: Facebook content management controversiesFacebook or Meta Platforms has been criticized for its management of various content on posts, photos and entire groups and profiles. This includes but is not limited to allowing violent content, including content related to war crimes, and not limiting the spread of fake news and COVID-19 misinformation on their platform, as well as allowing incitement of violence against multiple groups.
Misguiding news publishers and advertisers on video engagement
Facebook heavily pushed news publishers towards making more videos and discouraging text content. However, this was revealed to be wrong as metrics used for time spent on videos was faulty overestimating by 60-80%, later unsealed court documents revealed the metric was wrong between 150-900% time. A group of advertisers in California sued Facebook over the allegation.
Technical
Real-name policy controversy and compromise
Main article: Facebook real-name policy controversyFacebook has a real-name system policy for user profiles. The real-name policy stems from the position "that way, you always know who you're connecting with. This helps keep our community safe." The real-name system does not allow adopted names or pseudonyms, and in its enforcement has suspended accounts of legitimate users, until the user provides identification indicating the name. Facebook representatives have described these incidents as very rare. A user claimed responsibility via the anonymous Android and iOS app Secret for reporting "fake names" which caused user profiles to be suspended, specifically targeting the stage names of drag queens. On October 1, 2014, Chris Cox, Chief Product Officer at Facebook, offered an apology: "In the two weeks since the real-name policy issues surfaced, we've had the chance to hear from many of you in these communities and understand the policy more clearly as you experience it. We've also come to understand how painful this has been. We owe you a better service and a better experience using Facebook, and we're going to fix the way this policy gets handled so everyone affected here can go back to using Facebook as you were."
On December 15, 2015, Facebook announced in a press release that it would be providing a compromise to its real name policy after protests from groups such as the gay/lesbian community and abuse-victims. The site is developing a protocol that will allow members to provide specifics as to their "special circumstance" or "unique situation" with a request to use pseudonyms, subject to verification of their true identities. At that time, this was already being tested in the U.S. Product manager Todd Gage and vice president of global operations Justin Osofsky also promised a new method for reducing the number of members who must go through ID verification while ensuring the safety of others on Facebook. The fake name reporting procedure will also be modified, forcing anyone who makes such an allegation to provide specifics that would be investigated and giving the accused individual time to dispute the allegation.
Deleting users' statuses
There have been complaints of user statuses being mistakenly or intentionally deleted for alleged violations of Facebook's posting guidelines. Especially for non-English speaking writers, Facebook does not have a proper support system to genuinely read the content and make decisions. Sometimes the content of a status did not have any "abusive" or defaming language, but it nevertheless got deleted on the basis that it had been secretly reported by a group of people as "offensive". For other languages than English, Facebook until now is not able to identify the group approach that is used to vilify humanitarian activism. In another incident, Facebook had to apologize after it deleted a free speech group's post about the abuse of human rights in Syria. In that case, a spokesman for Facebook said the post was "mistakenly" removed by a member of its moderation team, which receives a high volume of take-down requests.
Enabling of harassment
Facebook instituted a policy by which it is now self-policed by the community of Facebook users. Some users have complained that this policy allows Facebook to empower abusive users to harass them by allowing them to submit reports on even benign comments and photos as being "offensive" or "in violation of Facebook Rights and Responsibilities" and that enough of these reports result in the user who is being harassed in this way getting their account blocked for a predetermined number of days or weeks, or even deactivated entirely.
Facebook UK policy director Simon Milner told Wired magazine that "Once the piece of content has been seen, assessed and deemed OK, (Facebook) will ignore further reports about it."
Lack of customer support
Facebook lacks any form of live customer support beyond "community" support pages and FAQ's which offer only general troubleshooting advice, often making it impossible to resolve issues that require the services of an administrator or are not covered in the FAQs. The automated emailing system used when filling out a support form often directs users back to the help center or to pages that are outdated and cannot be accessed, leaving users at a dead end with no further support available. A person who lost access to Facebook or does not have an account has no easy way to contact the company directly.
Downtime and outages
Facebook has had a number of outages and downtime large enough to draw some media attention. A 2007 outage resulted in a security hole that enabled some users to read other users' personal mail. In 2008, the site was inaccessible for about a day, from many locations in many countries. In spite of these occurrences, a report issued by Pingdom found that Facebook had less downtime in 2008 than most social-networking websites. On September 16, 2009, Facebook started having major problems loading as people signed in. This was due to a group of hackers deliberately trying to drown out a political speaker who had social networking problems from continuously speaking against the Iranian election results. Just two days later, on September 18, Facebook went down again.
In October 2009, an unspecified number of Facebook users were unable to access their accounts for over three weeks.
On Monday, October 4, 2021, Facebook and its other apps – Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger, Oculus, as well as the lesser-known Mapillary – had an hours-long DNS-related global outage. The outage also affected anyone using "Log in with Facebook" to access third-party sites. The downtime lasted approximately five hours and fifteen minutes, from approximately 15:50 UTC to 21:05 UTC, and affected roughly three billion users. The outage was caused by a BGP withdrawal of all of the IP routes to their Domain Name (DNS) servers, which were all self-hosted at the time.
A further global outage occurred on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Messenger suddenly stopped working worldwide at 15:00 UTC, ending two hours later. The outage appeared on Super Tuesday, a day of many presidential primary elections in the United States. The cause of the outage was reportedly related to a problem with an automated tool for fixing configuration values. Twitter CEO Elon Musk mocked the outage in X.
Tracking cookies
Facebook has been criticized heavily for 'tracking' users, even when logged out of the site. Australian technologist Nik Cubrilovic discovered that when a user logs out of Facebook, the cookies from that login are still kept in the browser, allowing Facebook to track users on websites that include "social widgets" distributed by the social network. Facebook has denied the claims, saying they have 'no interest' in tracking users or their activity. They also promised after the discovery of the cookies that they would remove them, saying they will no longer have them on the site. A group of users in the United States have sued Facebook for breaching privacy laws.
As of December 2015, to comply with a court order citing violations of the European Union Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications – which requires users to consent to tracking and storage of data by websites, Facebook no longer allows users in Belgium to view any content on the service, even public pages, without being registered and logged in.
Email address change
In June 2012, Facebook removed all existing email addresses from user profiles, and added a new @facebook.com email address. Facebook claimed this was part of adding a "new setting that gives people the choice to decide which addresses they want to show on their timelines". However, this setting was redundant to the existing "Only Me" privacy setting which was already available to hide addresses from timelines. Users complained the change was unnecessary, they did not want an @facebook.com email address, and they did not receive adequate notification their profiles had been changed. The change in email address was synchronized to phones due to a software bug, causing existing email addresses details to be deleted. The facebook.com email service was retired in February 2014.
Safety Check bug
On March 27, 2016, following a bombing in Lahore, Pakistan, Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature, which allows people to let friends and loved ones know they are okay following a crisis or natural disaster, to people who were never in danger, or even close to the Pakistan explosion. Some users as far as the US, UK and Egypt received notifications asking if they were okay.
End-to-end encryption
In February 2021, the National Crime Agency of the UK expressed its concerns that the installation of end-to-end encryption methods would result in the spread of child pornography going undetected. Facebook representatives had previously told a UK Parliament committee that the use of these stronger encryption methods would render it easier for pedophiles to share child pornography on Facebook's networks. The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that around 70% of reports to law enforcement regarding the spread of child pornography on Facebook would be lost as a result of the implementation of end-to-end encryption.
In May 2021, Facebook came under fire from Ken McCallum, the Director-General of MI5, for its plans to introduce end-to-end encryption into its Messenger and Instagram services. McCallum stated that the introduction of such encryption methods would prevent security organizations from viewing communications related to ongoing terrorist plots and that the implementation of end-to-end encryption would block active counter-terrorism investigations.
Third-party responses to Facebook
Government censorship
Main article: Censorship of FacebookSeveral countries have banned access to Facebook, including Syria, China, and Iran. In 2010, the Office of the Data Protection Supervisor, a branch of the government of the Isle of Man, received so many complaints about Facebook that they deemed it necessary to provide a "Facebook Guidance" booklet (available online as a PDF file), which cited (amongst other things) Facebook policies and guidelines and included an elusive Facebook telephone number. This number when called, however, proved to provide no telephone support for Facebook users, and only played back a recorded message advising callers to review Facebook's online help information.
In 2010, Facebook reportedly allowed an objectionable page, deemed by the Islamic Lawyers Forum (ILF), to be anti-Muslim. The ILF filed a petition with Pakistan's Lahore High Court. On May 18, 2010, Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry ordered Pakistan's Telecommunication Authority to block access to Facebook until May 31. The offensive page had provoked street demonstrations in Muslim countries due to visual depictions of Muhammad, which are regarded as blasphemous by Muslims. A spokesman said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority would move to implement the ban once the order has been issued by the Ministry of Information and Technology. "We will implement the order as soon as we get the instructions", Khurram Mehran told AFP. "We have already blocked the URL link and issued instruction to Internet service providers yesterday", he added. Rai Bashir told AFP that "We moved the petition in the wake of widespread resentment in the Muslim community against the Facebook contents". The petition called on the government of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest with the owners of Facebook, he added. Bashir said a PTA official told the judge his organization had blocked the page, but the court ordered a total ban on the site. People demonstrated outside court in the eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan, carrying banners condemning Facebook. Protests in Pakistan on a larger scale took place after the ban and widespread news of that objectionable page. The ban was lifted on May 31 after Facebook reportedly assured the Lahore High Court that it would remedy the issues in dispute.
In 2011, a court in Pakistan was petitioned to place a permanent ban on Facebook for hosting a page called "2nd Annual Draw Muhammad Day May 20th 2011".
Government fines
In July 2024, Nigeria's government slapped Meta with a $220 million fine for violating the country's data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp. According to Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Meta broke the rules in five major ways: sharing Nigerian users' data without permission, denying consumers control over their data, practicing discrimination, and abusing market dominance.
Organizations blocking access
Ontario government employees, Federal public servants, MPPs, and cabinet ministers were blocked from access to Facebook on government computers in May 2007. When the employees tried to access Facebook, a warning message "The Internet website that you have requested has been deemed unacceptable for use for government business purposes". This warning also appears when employees try to access YouTube, MySpace, gambling or pornographic websites. However, innovative employees have found ways around such protocols, and many claim to use the site for political or work-related purposes.
A number of local governments including those in the UK and Finland imposed restrictions on the use of Facebook in the workplace due to the technical strain incurred. Other government-related agencies, such as the US Marine Corps have imposed similar restrictions. A number of hospitals in Finland have also restricted Facebook use citing privacy concerns.
Schools blocking access
The University of New Mexico (UNM) in October 2005 blocked access to Facebook from UNM campus computers and networks, citing unsolicited emails and a similar site called UNM Facebook. After a UNM user signed into Facebook from off campus, a message from Facebook said, "We are working with the UNM administration to lift the block and have explained that it was instituted based on erroneous information, but they have not yet committed to restore your access." UNM, in a message to students who tried to access the site from the UNM network, wrote, "This site is temporarily unavailable while UNM and the site owners work out procedural issues. The site is in violation of UNM's Acceptable Computer Use Policy for abusing computing resources (e.g., spamming, trademark infringement, etc.). The site forces use of UNM credentials (e.g., NetID or email address) for non-UNM business." However, after Facebook created an encrypted login and displayed a precautionary message not to use university passwords for access, UNM unblocked access the following spring semester.
The Columbus Dispatch reported on June 22, 2006, that Kent State University's athletic director had planned to ban the use of Facebook by athletes and gave them until August 1 to delete their accounts. On July 5, 2006, the Daily Kent Stater reported that the director reversed the decision after reviewing the privacy settings of Facebook. As long as they followed the university's policies of online conduct, they could keep their profiles.
Closed social networks
Several web sites concerned with social networking, such as Salesforce have criticized the lack of information that users get when they share data. Advanced users cannot limit the amount of information anyone can access in their profiles, but Facebook promotes the sharing of personal information for marketing purposes, leading to the promotion of the service using personal data from users who are not fully aware of this. Facebook exposes personal data, without supporting open standards for data interchange. According to several communities and authors closed social networking, on the other hand, promotes data retrieval from other people while not exposing one's personal information.
Openbook was established in early 2010 both as a parody of Facebook and a critique of its changing privacy management protocols.
FB Purity
Fluff Busting Purity, or FB Purity for short (previously known as Facebook Purity) is a browser extension first launched in 2009 to allow users to remove annoyances such as spam from their feed and allow more individual control over what content is displayed. In response, Facebook banned its developer from using the platform and blocked links to the extension.
Unfollow Everything
Unfollow Everything is a browser extension designed to help Facebook users reduce their time spent on the platform by mass unliking to reduce the clutter in their news feed. The extension, together with its creator, has been banned by Facebook and subject to legal warnings.
Litigation
Further information: Lawsuits involving Meta PlatformsMeta Platforms, formerly Facebook, Inc., has been involved in many lawsuits since its founding in 2004.
Lobbying
Facebook is among the biggest spenders on lobbying among tech companies; in 2020, it was the highest spender. It spent more than $80 million on lobbying in the 2010s. This funding may serve to weaken privacy protections.
In March 2019, HuffPost reported that Facebook paid lawyer Ed Sussman to lobby for changes to their Misplaced Pages articles.
In December 2021, news broke on The Wall Street Journal pointing to Meta's lobbying efforts to divide US lawmakers and "muddy the waters" in Congress, to hinder regulation following the 2021 whistleblower leaks. Facebook's lobbyist team in Washington suggested to Republican lawmakers that the whistleblower "was trying to help Democrats," while the narrative told to Democratic staffers was that Republicans "were focused on the company's decision to ban expressions of support for Kyle Rittenhouse," The Wall Street Journal reported. According to the article, the company's goal was to "muddy the waters, divide lawmakers along partisan lines and forestall a cross-party alliance" against Facebook (now Meta) in Congress.
In March 2022, the Washington Post reported that Meta had hired the Republican-backed consulting firm Targeted Victory to coordinate lobbying and negative PR against the video app TikTok via local media outlets, including concurrent promotion of corporate initiatives conducted by Facebook.
Terms of use controversy
While Facebook originally made changes to its terms of use or, terms of service, on February 4, 2009, the changes went unnoticed until Chris Walters, a blogger for the consumer-oriented blog, The Consumerist, noticed the change on February 15, 2009. Walters complained the change gave Facebook the right to "Do anything they want with your content. Forever." The section under the most controversy is the "User Content Posted on the Site" clause. Before the changes, the clause read:
You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.
The "license granted" refers to the license that Facebook has to one's "name, likeness, and image" to use in promotions and external advertising. The new terms of use deleted the phrase that states the license would "automatically expire" if a user chose to remove content. By omitting this line, Facebook license extends to adopt users' content perpetually and irrevocably years after the content has been deleted.
Many users of Facebook voiced opinions against the changes to the Facebook Terms of Use, leading to an Internet-wide debate over the ownership of content. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) prepared a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Many individuals were frustrated with the removal of the controversial clause. Facebook users, numbering more than 38,000, joined a user group against the changes, and a number of blogs and news sites have written about this issue.
After the change was brought to light in Walters's blog entry, in his blog on February 16, 2009, Zuckerberg addressed the issues concerning the recently made changes to Facebook's terms of use. Zuckerberg wrote "Our philosophy is that people own their information and control who they share it with." In addition to this statement Zuckerberg explained the paradox created when people want to share their information (phone number, pictures, email address, etc.) with the public, but at the same time desire to remain in complete control of who has access to this info.
To calm criticism, Facebook returned to its original terms of use. However, on February 17, 2009, Zuckerberg wrote in his blog, that although Facebook reverted to its original terms of use, it is in the process of developing new terms to address the paradox. Zuckerberg stated that these new terms will allow Facebook users to "share and control their information, and it will be written clearly in language everyone can understand." Zuckerberg invited users to join a group entitled "Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" to give their input and help shape the new terms.
On February 26, 2009, Zuckerberg posted a blog, updating users on the progress of the new Terms of Use. He wrote, "We decided we needed to do things differently and so we're going to develop new policies that will govern our system from the ground up in an open and transparent way." Zuckerberg introduces the two new additions to Facebook: the Facebook Principles and the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Both additions allow users to vote on changes to the terms of use before they are officially released. Because "Facebook is still in the business of introducing new and therefore potentially disruptive technologies", Zuckerberg explains, users need to adjust and familiarize themselves with the products before they can adequately show their support.
This new voting system was initially applauded as Facebook's step to a more democratized social network system. However, the new terms were harshly criticized in a report by computer scientists from the University of Cambridge, who stated that the democratic process surrounding the new terms is disingenuous and significant problems remain in the new terms. The report was endorsed by the Open Rights Group.
In December 2009, EPIC and a number of other U.S. privacy organizations filed another complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding Facebook's Terms of Service. In January 2011 EPIC filed a subsequent complaint claiming that Facebook's new policy of sharing users' home address and mobile phone information with third-party developers were "misleading and fail to provide users clear and privacy protections", particularly for children under age 18. Facebook temporarily suspended implementation of its policy in February 2011, but the following month announced it was "actively considering" reinstating the third-party policy.
Interoperability and data portability
Facebook has been criticized for failing to offer users a feature to export their friends' information, such as contact information, for use with other services or software. The inability of users to export their social graph in an open standard format contributes to vendor lock-in and contravenes the principles of data portability. Automated collection of user information without Facebook's consent violates its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and third-party attempts to do so (e.g., Web scraping) have resulted in litigation, Power.com.
Facebook Connect has been criticized for its lack of interoperability with OpenID.
Lawsuits over privacy
Facebook's strategy of making revenue through advertising has created a lot of controversy for its users as some argue that it is "a bit creepy ... but it is also brilliant." Some Facebook users have raised privacy concerns because they do not like that Facebook sells user's information to third parties. In 2012, users sued Facebook for using their pictures and information on a Facebook advertisement. Facebook gathers user information by keeping track of pages users have "Liked" and through the interactions users have with their connections. They then create value from the gathered data by selling it. In 2009 users also filed a lawsuit for Facebook's privacy invasion through the Facebook Beacon system. Facebook's team believed that through the Beacon system people could inspire their friends to buy similar products, however, users did not like the idea of sharing certain online purchases with their Facebook friends. Users were against Facebook's invasion of privacy and sharing that privacy with the world. Facebook users became more aware of Facebook's behavior with user information in 2009 as Facebook launched their new Terms of Service. In Facebook's terms of service, Facebook admits that user information may be used for some of Facebook's own purposes such as sharing a link to your posted images or for their own commercials and advertisements.
As Dijck argues in his book that, "the more users know about what happens to their personal data, the more inclined they are to raise objections." This created a battle between Facebook and Facebook users described as the "battle for information control". Facebook users have become aware of Facebook's intentions and people now see Facebook "as serving the interests of companies rather than its users." In response to Facebook selling user information to third parties, concerned users have resorted to the method of "Obfuscation". Through obfuscation users can purposely hide their real identity and provide Facebook with false information that will make their collected data less accurate. By obfuscating information through sites such as FaceCloak, Facebook users have regained control of their personal information.
Better Business Bureau review
As of December 2010, the Better Business Bureau gave Facebook an "A" rating.
As of December 2010, the 36-month running count of complaints about Facebook logged with the Better Business Bureau is 1136, including 101 ("Making a full refund, as the consumer requested"), 868 ("Agreeing to perform according to their contract"), 1 ("Refuse [sic] to adjust, relying on terms of agreement"), 20 ("Unassigned"), 0 ("Unanswered") and 136 ("Refusing to make an adjustment").
Security
Facebook's software has proven vulnerable to likejacking. On July 28, 2010, the BBC reported that security consultant Ron Bowes used a piece of code to scan Facebook profiles to collect data of 100 million profiles. The data collected was not hidden by the user's privacy settings. Bowes then published the list online. This list, which has been shared as a downloadable file, contains the URL of every searchable Facebook user's profile, their name and unique ID. Bowes said he published the data to highlight privacy issues, but Facebook claimed it was already public information.
In early June 2013, The New York Times reported that an increase in malicious links related to the Trojan horse malware program Zeus were identified by Eric Feinberg, founder of the advocacy group Fans Against Kounterfeit Enterprise (FAKE). Feinberg said that the links were present on popular NFL Facebook fan pages and, following contact with Facebook, was dissatisfied with the corporation's "after-the-fact approach". Feinberg called for oversight, stating, "If you really want to hack someone, the easiest place to start is a fake Facebook profile—it's so simple, it's stupid."
Rewards for vulnerability reporting
On August 19, 2013, it was reported that a Facebook user from Palestinian Autonomy, Khalil Shreateh, found a bug that allowed him to post material to other users' Facebook Walls. Users are not supposed to have the ability to post material to the Facebook Walls of other users unless they are approved friends of those users that they have posted material to. To prove that he was telling the truth, Shreateh posted material to Sarah Goodin's wall, a friend of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Following this, Shreateh contacted Facebook's security team with the proof that his bug was real, explaining in detail what was going on. Facebook has a bounty program in which it compensates people a $500+ fee for reporting bugs instead of using them to their advantage or selling them on the black market. However, it was reported that instead of fixing the bug and paying Shreateh the fee, Facebook originally told him that "this was not a bug" and dismissed him. Shreateh then tried a second time to inform Facebook, but they dismissed him yet again. On the third try, Shreateh used the bug to post a message to Mark Zuckerberg's Wall, stating "Sorry for breaking your privacy ... but a couple of days ago, I found a serious Facebook exploit" and that Facebook's security team was not taking him seriously. Within minutes, a security engineer contacted Shreateh, questioned him on how he performed the move and ultimately acknowledged that it was a bug in the system. Facebook temporarily suspended Shreateh's account and fixed the bug after several days. However, in a move that was met with much public criticism and disapproval, Facebook refused to pay out the 500+ fee to Shreateh; instead, Facebook responded that by posting to Zuckerberg's account, Shreateh had violated one of their terms of service policies and therefore "could not be paid". Included with this, the Facebook team strongly censured Shreateh over his manner of resolving the matter. In closing, they asked that Shreateh continue to help them find bugs.
On August 22, 2013, Yahoo News reported that Marc Maiffret, a chief technology officer of the cybersecurity firm BeyondTrust, is prompting hackers to help raise a $10,000 reward for Khalil Shreateh. On August 20, Maiffret stated that he had already raised $9,000 in his efforts, including the $2,000 he himself contributed. He and other hackers alike have denounced Facebook for refusing Shreateh compensation. Maiffret said: "He is sitting there in Palestine doing this research on a five-year-old laptop that looks like it is half broken. It's something that might help him out in a big way." Facebook representatives have since responded, "We will not change our practice of refusing to pay rewards to researchers who have tested vulnerabilities against real users." Facebook representatives also claimed they'd paid out over $1 million to individuals who have discovered bugs in the past.
Environmental impacts
See also: Green computing and Screen time § Environmental effectsIn 2010, Prineville, Oregon, was chosen as the site for Facebook's new data center. However, the center has been met with criticism from environmental groups such as Greenpeace because the power utility company contracted for the center, PacifiCorp, generates 60% of its electricity from coal. In September 2010, Facebook received a letter from Greenpeace containing half a million signatures asking the company to cut its ties to coal-based electricity.
On April 21, 2011, Greenpeace released a report showing that of the top ten big brands in cloud computing, Facebook relied the most on coal for electricity for its data centers. At the time, data centers consumed up to 2% of all global electricity and this amount was projected to increase. Phil Radford of Greenpeace said "we are concerned that this new explosion in electricity use could lock us into old, polluting energy sources instead of the clean energy available today".
On December 15, 2011, Greenpeace and Facebook announced together that Facebook would shift to use clean and renewable energy to power its own operations. Marcy Scott Lynn, of Facebook's sustainability program, said it looked forward "to a day when our primary energy sources are clean and renewable" and that the company is "working with Greenpeace and others to help bring that day closer".
In April 2022, Meta Platforms, Alphabet Inc., Shopify, McKinsey & Company, and Stripe, Inc. announced a $925 million Advance market commitment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from companies that are developing CDR technology over the next 9 years. In January 2023, the American Clean Power Association released an annual industry report that found that 326 corporations had contracted 77.4 gigawatts of wind or solar energy by the end of 2022 and that the three corporate purchasers of the largest volumes of wind and solar energy were Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Alphabet Inc.
Advertising
Click fraud
In July 2012, startup Limited Run claimed that 80% of its Facebook clicks came from bots. Limited Run co-founder Tom Mango told TechCrunch that they "spent roughly a month testing this" with six web analytics services including Google Analytics and in-house software. Click fraud (Allege reason) Limited Run said it came to the conclusion that the clicks were fraudulent after running its own analysis. It determined that most of the clicks for which Facebook was charging it came from computers that were not loading Javascript, a programming language that allows Web pages to be interactive. Almost all Web browsers load Javascript by default, so the assumption is that if a click comes from one that is not, it's probably not a real person but a bot.
Like fraud
Facebook offers an advertising tool for pages to get more "likes". According to Business Insider, this advertising tool is called "Suggested Posts" or "Suggested Pages", allowing companies to market their page to thousands of new users for as little as $50.
Global Fortune 100 firms are increasingly using social media marketing tools as the number of "likes" per Facebook page has risen by 115% globally. Biotechnology company Comprendia investigated Facebook's "likes" through advertising by analyzing the life science pages with the most likes. They concluded that at as much as 40% of "likes" from company pages are suspected to be fake. According to Facebook's annual report, an estimated 0.4% and 1.2% of active users are undesirable accounts that create fake likes.
Small companies such as PubChase have publicly testified against Facebook's advertising tool, claiming legitimate advertising on Facebook creates fraudulent Facebook "likes". In May 2013, PubChase decided to build up its Facebook following through Facebook's advertising tool, which promises to "connect with more of the people who matter to you". After the first day, the company grew suspicious of the increased likes as they ended up with 900 likes from India. According to PubChase, none of the users behind the "likes" seemed to be scientists. The statistics from Google Analytics indicate that India is not in the company's main user base. PubChase continues by stating that Facebook has no interface to delete the fake likes; rather, the company must manually delete each follower themselves.
In February 2014, Derek Muller used his YouTube account Veritasium to upload a video titled "Facebook Fraud". Within three days, the video had gone viral with more than a million views (it has reached 6,371,759 views as of December 15, 2021). In the video, Derek illustrates how after paying US$50 to Facebook advertising, the "likes" to his fan page have tripled in a few days and soon reached 70,000 "likes", compared to his original 2,115 likes before the advertising. Despite the significant increase in likes, Derek noticed his page has actually decreased in engagement – there were fewer people commenting, sharing, and liking his posts and updates despite the significant increase in "likes". Derek also noticed that the users that "liked" his page were users that liked hundreds of other pages, including competing pages such as AT&T and T-Mobile. He theorizes that users are purposely clicking "like" on any and every page to deter attention away from the pages they were paid to "like". Derek claims, "I never bought fake likes, I used Facebook legitimate advertising, but the results are as if I paid for fake likes from a click farm".
In response to the fake "likes" complaints, Facebook told Business Insider:
We're always focused on maintaining the integrity of our site, but we've placed an increased focus on abuse from fake accounts recently. We've made a lot of progress by building a combination of automated and manual systems to block accounts used for fraudulent purposes and Like button clicks. We also take action against sellers of fake clicks and help shut them down.
Undesired targeting
On August 3, 2007, several British companies, including First Direct, Vodafone, Virgin Media, The Automobile Association, Halifax and Prudential pulled advertising in Facebook after finding that their ads were displayed on the page of the British National Party, a far-right political party.
Facilitation of housing discrimination
See also: Lookalike audienceFacebook has faced allegations that its advertising platforms facilitate housing discrimination by means of internal functions for targeted advertising, which allowed advertisers to target or exclude specific audiences from campaigns. Researchers have also found that Facebook's advertising platform may be inherently discriminatory, since ad delivery is also influenced by how often specific demographics interact with specific types of advertising – even if they are not explicitly determined by the advertiser.
Under the United States' Fair Housing Act, it is illegal to show a preference for or against tenants based on specific protected classes (including race, ethnicity, and disabilities), when advertising or negotiating the rental or sale of housing. In 2016, ProPublica found that advertisers could target or exclude users from advertising based on an "Ethnic Affinity" – a demographic trait which is determined based on a user's interests and behaviors on Facebook, and not explicitly provided by the user. This could, in turn, be used to discriminate based on race. In February 2017, Facebook stated that it would implement stronger measures to forbid discriminatory advertising across the entire platform. Advertisers who attempt to create ads for housing, employment, or credit (HEC) opportunities would be blocked from using ethnic affinities (renamed "multicultural affinities" and now classified as behaviors) to target the ad. If an advertiser uses any other audience segment to target ads for HEC, they would be informed of the policies, and be required to affirm their compliance with relevant laws and policies.
However, in November 2017, ProPublica found that automated enforcement of these new policies was inconsistent. They were also able to successfully create housing ads that excluded users based on interests and other factors that effectively imply associations with protected classes, including interests in wheelchair ramps, the Spanish-language television network Telemundo, and New York City ZIP codes with majority minority populations. In response to the report, Facebook temporarily removed the ability to target any ad with exclusions based on multicultural affinities.
In April 2018, Facebook permanently removed the ability to create exclusions based on multicultural affinities. In July 2018, Facebook signed a legally binding agreement with the State of Washington to take further steps within 90 days to prevent the use of its advertising platform for housing discrimination against protected classes. The following month, Facebook announced that it would remove at least 5,000 categories from its exclusion system to prevent "misuse", including those relating to races and religions. On March 19, 2019, Facebook settled a lawsuit over the matter with the National Fair Housing Alliance, agreeing to create a separate portal for HEC advertising with limited targeting options by September 2019, and to provide a public archive of all HEC advertising.
On March 28, 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) filed a lawsuit against Facebook, having filed a formal complaint against the company on August 13, 2018. The HUD also took issue with Facebook's tendency to deliver ads based on users having "particular characteristics most likely to engage with the ad".
Fake accounts
In August 2012, Facebook revealed that more than 83 million Facebook accounts (8.7% of total users) are fake accounts. These fake profiles consist of duplicate profiles, accounts for spamming purposes and personal profiles for business, organization or non-human entities such as pets. As a result of this revelation, the share price of Facebook dropped below $20. Furthermore, there is much effort to detect fake profiles using automated means, in one such work, machine learning techniques are used to detect fake users.
Facebook initially refused to remove a "business" page devoted to a woman's anus, created without her knowledge while she was underage, due to other Facebook users having expressed interest in the topic. After BuzzFeed published a story about it, the page was finally removed. The page listed her family's former home address as that of the "business".
User interface
Upgrades
September 2008
In September 2008, Facebook permanently moved its users to what they termed the "New Facebook" or Facebook 3.0. This version contained several different features and a complete layout redesign. Between July and September, users had been given the option to use the new Facebook in place of the original design, or to return to the old design.
Facebook's decision to migrate their users was met with some controversy in their community. Several groups started opposing the decision, some with over a million users.
October 2009
In October 2009, Facebook redesigned the news feed so that the user could view all types of things that their friends were involved with. In a statement, they said,
your applications generate can show up in both views. The best way for your stories to appear in the News Feed filter is to create stories that are highly engaging, as high quality, interesting stories are most likely to garner likes and comments by the user's friends.
This redesign was explained as:
News Feed will focus on popular content, determined by an algorithm based on interest in that story, including the number of times an item is liked or commented on. Live Feed will display all recent stories from a large number of a user's friends.
The redesign was met immediately with criticism with users, many who did not like the amount of information that was coming at them. This was also compounded by the fact that people could not select what they saw.
November/December 2009
In November 2009, Facebook issued a proposed new privacy policy, and adopted it unaltered in December 2009. They combined this with a rollout of new privacy settings. This new policy declared certain information, including "lists of friends", to be "publicly available", with no privacy settings; it was previously possible to keep access to this information restricted. Due to this change, the users who had set their "list of friends" as private were forced to make it public without even being informed, and the option to make it private again was removed. This was protested by many people and privacy organizations such as the EFF.
The change was described by Ryan Tate as Facebook's Great Betrayal, forcing user profile photos and friends lists to be visible in users' public listing, even for users who had explicitly chosen to hide this information previously, and making photos and personal information public unless users were proactive about limiting access. For example, a user whose "Family and Relationships" information was set to be viewable by "Friends Only" would default to being viewable by "Everyone" (publicly viewable). That is, information such as the gender of the partner the user is interested in, relationship status, and family relations became viewable to those even without a Facebook account. Facebook was heavily criticized for both reducing its users' privacy and pushing users to remove privacy protections. Groups criticizing the changes include the Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liberties Union. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, had hundreds of personal photos and his events calendar exposed in the transition. Facebook has since re-included an option to hide friends lists from being viewable; however, this preference is no longer listed with other privacy settings, and the former ability to hide the friends list from selected people among one's own friends is no longer possible. Journalist Dan Gillmor deleted his Facebook account over the changes, stating he "can't entirely trust Facebook" and Heidi Moore at Slate's Big Money temporarily deactivated her account as a "conscientious objection". Other journalists have been similarly disappointed and outraged by the changes. Defending the changes, founder Mark Zuckerberg said "we decided that these would be the social norms now and we just went for it". The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada launched another investigation into Facebook's privacy policies after complaints following the change.
January 2018
Following a difficult 2017, marked by accusations of relaying fake news and revelations about groups close to Russia which tried to influence the 2016 US presidential election (see Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections) via advertisements on his service, Mark Zuckerberg, announced in his traditional January post:
"We're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions".
— Mark Zuckerberg
Following surveys on Facebook users, this desire for change will take the form of a reconfiguration of the News Feed algorithms to:
- Prioritize content of family members and friends (Mark Zuckerberg January 12, Facebook: "The first changes you'll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups".)
- Give priority to news articles from local sources considered more credible
The recent changes of the News Feed algorithm (see content : News Feed#History) are expected to improve "the amount of meaningful content viewed". To this end, the new algorithm is supposed to determine the publications around which a user is most likely to interact with his friends, and make them appear higher in the News Feed instead of items for example from media companies or brands. These are posts "that inspire back-and-forth discussion in the comments and posts that you might want to share and react to". But, as even Mark Zuckerberg admitted, he "expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down. But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable". The less public content a Facebook user sees on their News Feed, the fewer brands are able to reach consumers. That's unarguably a major lose for advertisers and publishers.
This change which seems to be just another update of the social network, is widely criticized because of the heavy consequences it might lead to "In countries such as the Philippines, Myanmar and South Sudan and emerging democracies such Bolivia and Serbia, it is not ethical to plead platform neutrality or to set up the promise of a functioning news ecosystem and then simply withdraw at a whim". Indeed, in such countries, Facebook was the promise of a reliable and objective platform on which they could hope for raw information. Independent media companies tried to fight censorship through their articles and were promoting in a way the right for citizens to know what is going on in their countries.
The company's way of handling scandals and criticism over fake news by diminishing its media company image is even defined as "potentially deadly" regarding the poor and fraught political environments like Myanmar or South Sudan appealed by the "free basics" programme of the social network. Serbian journalist Stevan Dojčinović goes further by describing Facebook as a "monster" and accuses the company of "showing a cynical lack of concern for how its decisions affect the most vulnerable". Indeed, Facebook had experimented with withdrawing media companies' news on user's newsfeed in few countries such as Serbia. Stevan Docjcinovic then wrote an article explaining how Facebook helped them "to bypass mainstream channels and bring stories to hundreds of thousands of readers". The rule about publishers is not being applied to paid posts raising the journalist's fears about the social network "becoming just another playground for the powerful" by letting them for example buy Facebook ads. Critics are also visible in other media companies depicting the private company as the "destroyer of worlds". LittleThings CEO, Joe Speiser states that the algorithm shift "took out roughly 75% of LittleThings" organic traffic while hammering its profit margins" compelling them to close their doors because they were relying on Facebook to share content.
Net neutrality
"Free Basics" controversy in India
In February 2016, TRAI ruled against differential data pricing for limited services from mobile phone operators effectively ending zero-rating platforms in India. Zero rating provides access to a limited number of websites for no charge to the end user. Net-neutrality supporters from India (SaveTheInternet.in) brought out the negative implications of the Facebook Free Basic program and spread awareness to the public. Facebook's Free Basics program was a collaboration with Reliance Communications to launch Free Basics in India. The TRAI ruling against differential pricing marked the end of Free Basics in India.
Earlier, Facebook had spent US$44 million in advertising and it implored all of its Indian users to send an email to the Telecom Regulatory Authority to support its program. TRAI later asked Facebook to provide specific responses from the supporters of Free Basics.
Treatment of potential competitors
In December 2018 details on Facebook's behavior against competitors surfaced. The UK parliament member Damian Collins released files from a court ruling between Six4Three and Facebook. According to those files, the social media company Twitter released its app Vine in 2013. Facebook blocked Vine's Access to its data.
In July 2020, Facebook along with other tech giants Apple, Amazon and Google were accused of maintaining harmful power and anti-competitive strategies to quash potential competitors in the market. The CEOs of respective firms appeared in a teleconference on July 29, 2020, before the lawmakers of the United States Congress.
Influence on elections
In what is known as the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Facebook users were targeted with political advertising without informed consent in an attempt to promote right-wing causes, including the presidential election of Donald Trump. In addition to elections in the United States, Facebook has been implicated in electoral influence campaigns in places like Argentina, Kenya, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, as discussed in the 2019 documentary The Great Hack.
Blocking wildfire news
In response to the Online News Act, Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, began blocking access to news sites for Canadian users at the beginning of August 2023. This also extended to local Canadian news stories about the wildfires, a decision that was heavily criticized by Trudeau, local government officials, academics, researchers, and evacuees.
Ollie Williams of Yellowknife's Cabin Radio said that users had to resort to posting screenshots of news stories, as posting news directly would result in the link getting blocked.
Meta responded to these criticisms by stating that Canadians "can continue to use our technologies to connect with their communities and access reputable information from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations," and encouraged them to use Facebook's Safety Check feature.
See also
- Criticism of Amazon
- Criticism of Apple
- Criticism of Google
- Criticism of Microsoft
- Criticism of Yahoo!
- Europe v Facebook
- Facebook Files
- Facebook history
- Facebook malware
- Facebook Pixel
- Instagram's impact on people
- Issues involving social networking services
- Online hate speech
- Social media and suicide
- Surveillance capitalism
- Techlash
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{{cite book}}
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Further reading
- Mims, Christopher (June 1, 2011). "How Facebook Leveraged Publishers' Desperation to Build a Web-Wide Tracking System". Technology Review. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- "Facebook: Friend or Foe?". LifeIvy. May 15, 2013
- Funk, McKenzie (November 19, 2016). "The Secret Agenda of a Facebook Quiz". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- How Facebook's tentacles reach further than you think (May 26, 2017), BBC
- Lanchester, John (August 2017), "You Are the Product", London Review of Books, 39 (16): 3–10
- Oremus, Will (April 2018), "Are You Really the Product? The history of a dangerous idea", Slate, 39 (16)
- Greenspan, Aaron (January 24, 2019), Reality Check:Facebook, Inc.
External links
- Media related to Criticism of Facebook at Wikimedia Commons
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