Why this is very, very bad. A thread from me, an anthropologist: #ethics #anthropology #Facebook #FB #morals #privacy #trust #security #surveillance #sociability https://twitter.com/lfdodds/status/1306289250220953602

1) The first problem with research like this is that we, the public, have no agency to choose whether or not we wish to participate in this experiment—even though our taxes pay for the Commons where this will take place. #privacy #trust #security

2) This ‘experiment’ is inhumane to FB’s employees, who also have no choice in the matter and who, as part of their employment, are must comply. (See Applin and Fischer on Forced Compliance http://posr.org/wiki/Forced_Compliance ) and our paper on workplace #surveillance http://posr.org/w/images/0/0d/Applin_Fischer_ISTAS13_PREPUB_DRAFT.pdf

3) There are #ethics rules for conducting research on human subjects. FB is doing double damage here: researching the social interactions of its employees AND those of the public. #privacy #trust #security

4) FB’s intent is to understand social dynamics in a new way. They want to understand our #privacy by violating our privacy through unsanctioned #surveillance This is a breech of #trust #security

5) Someone asked me if Google’s Street View bothered me. It did, but not in the same way. Google wanted to map streets/physical objects. FB is trying to map sociability unsanctioned interactions. FB is WAY worse here. #privacy #trust #security