Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

leftous wrote (edited )

This is a great episode.

The discussion that stood out to me most was how they talked the loss of context that Facebook produces when it comes to what we expose about ourselves. I think it succinctly highlights the very anti-human nature of the platform. By nature, we only disclose certain amounts of information to certain people and depending on the context. Privacy and personal disclosure is very important to intimacy and our relationships. To gather all that data - our posts, private conversations, likes, location data, audio/video, etc - and put it into one full picture means one private, unaccountable entity knows more about you than you even know about yourself. Or sides of you that you would never dare to share with anyone. That concept itself should feel unnatural and disturbing for anyone. I've actually shared this thought with a few facebook users, and the response was always disturbed and pensive.

Now take that fact and realize you're trusting that they're going to be responsible with it, and not weaponize it against you. Not hand it over to someone who could use it to hurt, control, or blackmail you. That is an even more disturbing thought.

Overall, I would say it is interesting timing for this podcast with the news about the 50 million profiles leaked to an analytics firm associated with Trump's campaign. It alludes again to the dangers of data centralization, and trusting these data harvesting companies.

3

red_pepper OP wrote

Their short discussion about how Facebook might decide to demote pages or content critical of Facebook made me wonder just how far they might go in protecting their brand.

You're someone who shares subversive views with Facebook users. That means you're a danger to their platform. Maybe they'd decide it's in their best interests to demote your posts so that they show up less on other people's timelines? Or, if you aren't on their service, maybe they'll decide to promote negative rumors about you so people are less likely to believe you. Or maybe they give your shadow profile to law enforcement, so they can entrap you in some bullshit where you won't be a threat anymore.

Just how much control over our lives can Facebook have if they aren't stopped?

3

leftous wrote (edited )

I think the control can go even further than that.

Something that scares me the most is that my friends and family might be harmed by my politics. This is a classic tactic employed by fraternities, governments, and corporations to keep people in line. You may be willing to put your life on the line, but you won't be willing to put your family or friends.

Moreover, Facebook probably has enough on me that they could straight up blackmail me. They might be able to use that info to destroy my livelihood, or the livelihood of my friends/family.

But taking that one step further, Facebook probably has enough info to blackmail any government official into doing anything to serve them. They have the ultimate data treasure trove to make people do anything they want and serve their interests. And they can sell that data to whoever they please.

Oh you made an inappropriate comment 3 years ago? Oh you made an insensitive joke that can be construed as bigotry? You revealed a deep dark secret to a friend on their platform? To protect your rep as a public figure, you may be willing to serve facebook so this doesn't get out.

2