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It’s undeniable that Facebook is elevating right-wing voices on its platforms and even helping far-right politicians get into office.
But now it’s denying responsibility.
“Right-wing populism is always more engaging,” an exec says. “That was there in the [19]30& #39;s.”
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![It’s undeniable that Facebook is elevating right-wing voices on its platforms and even helping far-right politicians get into office.But now it’s denying responsibility.“Right-wing populism is always more engaging,” an exec says. “That was there in the [19]30& #39;s.”1/](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjAoPEAXkAAgm2Q.jpg "It’s undeniable that Facebook is elevating right-wing voices on its platforms and even helping far-right politicians get into office.But now it’s denying responsibility.“Right-wing populism is always more engaging,” an exec says. “That was there in the [19]30& #39;s.”1/")
But now it’s denying responsibility.
“Right-wing populism is always more engaging,” an exec says. “That was there in the [19]30& #39;s.”
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That FB exec says right-wing content speaks to “an incredibly strong, primitive emotion” that comes from topics like “nation, protection, the other, anger, fear.”
Fascism isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean FB execs are blameless. Quite the opposite.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/facebook-conservatives-2020-421146
2/">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
Fascism isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean FB execs are blameless. Quite the opposite.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/facebook-conservatives-2020-421146
2/">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
A number of decisions were made by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook executives over the years that privileged right-wing content as Zuckerberg ruthlessly pursued platform growth and dominance.
@robaeprice recently broke it all down.
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-right-wing-politics-trump-presidency-2020-7
3/">https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-...
@robaeprice recently broke it all down.
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-right-wing-politics-trump-presidency-2020-7
3/">https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-...
Aside from Zuckerberg himself, who comes across as incredibly naive, if not dismissive of any consequences on his quest for growth, is Joel Kaplan.
Kaplan is a Republican who served in George W. Bush’s White House. He frequently guided Zuckerberg against taking action.
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Kaplan is a Republican who served in George W. Bush’s White House. He frequently guided Zuckerberg against taking action.
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For example, when Donald Trump posted about his Muslim ban in 2015, even Zuckerberg wanted it down. But Kaplan advised against, and Zuckerberg listened.
Then, when algorithmic curation filled news feeds with fake news, Kaplan was against shutting down those pages.
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Then, when algorithmic curation filled news feeds with fake news, Kaplan was against shutting down those pages.
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Zuckerberg’s naiveté left him open to claims that Facebook had a liberal bias.
This is not a new thing. Mainstream media has been similarly pushed to the right by years of claims by conservatives that they have a liberal bias, and that has shifted the Overton window.
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This is not a new thing. Mainstream media has been similarly pushed to the right by years of claims by conservatives that they have a liberal bias, and that has shifted the Overton window.
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. @gaywonk explained how this all works.
Claims of “liberal bias” lead networks like CNN and MSNBC to pay attention to Fox and cover the bullshit they treat as news.
There’s no left-wing equivalent because the left doesn’t have billionaire backers.
https://www.vox.com/2019/5/24/18639159/fox-news-hack-gap-gatekeeping
7/">https://www.vox.com/2019/5/24...
Claims of “liberal bias” lead networks like CNN and MSNBC to pay attention to Fox and cover the bullshit they treat as news.
There’s no left-wing equivalent because the left doesn’t have billionaire backers.
https://www.vox.com/2019/5/24/18639159/fox-news-hack-gap-gatekeeping
7/">https://www.vox.com/2019/5/24...
After these claims were made, Zuckerberg invited a bunch of conservative commentators to Facebook for a friendly chat.
A few months later, Facebook replaced human curators with algorithms, which greatly benefited right-wing media.
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A few months later, Facebook replaced human curators with algorithms, which greatly benefited right-wing media.
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When an internal Facebook team alerted executives to what was happening and proposed changes, again Kaplan stood in the way.
The conversations were too “paternalistic” and would have disproportionately affected conservatives.
So nothing changed.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-it-encourages-division-top-executives-nixed-solutions-11590507499
8/">https://www.wsj.com/articles/...
The conversations were too “paternalistic” and would have disproportionately affected conservatives.
So nothing changed.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-it-encourages-division-top-executives-nixed-solutions-11590507499
8/">https://www.wsj.com/articles/...
This shouldn’t be seen as a surprise, but part of a normal trend we see in US politics.
While Democrats try to play by the rules, Republicans will do anything to advantage their side. Kaplan took full advantage of a naive and growth-obsessed Zuckerberg.
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While Democrats try to play by the rules, Republicans will do anything to advantage their side. Kaplan took full advantage of a naive and growth-obsessed Zuckerberg.
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Meanwhile, Facebook was aided right-wing causes around the world.
The Trump team had a Facebook employee on-site to help them maximum their effectiveness on the platform.
(The Clinton campaign was made the same offer and refused.)
11/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/09/the-man-behind-trumps-facebook-juggernaut">https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...
The Trump team had a Facebook employee on-site to help them maximum their effectiveness on the platform.
(The Clinton campaign was made the same offer and refused.)
11/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/09/the-man-behind-trumps-facebook-juggernaut">https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...
In India, a Facebook executive openly supported the far-right campaign of Narendra Modi, saying, “We lit a fire to his social media campaign and the rest is of course history.”
Facebook belatedly said she broke their “neutrality pledge.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-executive-supported-indias-modi-disparaged-opposition-in-internal-messages-11598809348
12/">https://www.wsj.com/articles/...
Facebook belatedly said she broke their “neutrality pledge.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-executive-supported-indias-modi-disparaged-opposition-in-internal-messages-11598809348
12/">https://www.wsj.com/articles/...
A whistleblower recently wrote a letter on her way out of the company describing how it ignored how its platform was being used outside North America and Europe, causing harm and devastation, because it was less likely to be picked up by the press.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo
13/">https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/c...
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo
13/">https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/c...
The whistleblower wrote “I have blood on my hands by now.”
She described negative outcomes in India, Ukraine, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador due to “a lack of desire from senior leadership to protect democratic processes in smaller countries.”
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She described negative outcomes in India, Ukraine, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador due to “a lack of desire from senior leadership to protect democratic processes in smaller countries.”
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Facebook is trying to reframe its platform’s right-wing bias as a simple reflection of reality.
But that argument seeks to hide the decisions that have been made over many years — only a few of which are mentioned in this thread — that amplified right-wing content.
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But that argument seeks to hide the decisions that have been made over many years — only a few of which are mentioned in this thread — that amplified right-wing content.
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Facebook is fueling the growth of the global far-right.
In part, it’s to increase engagement and ad profits. But it’s also because engineers like Zuckerberg are naive to power and giving into people like Kaplan who see a political opportunity (if not also complicit).
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In part, it’s to increase engagement and ad profits. But it’s also because engineers like Zuckerberg are naive to power and giving into people like Kaplan who see a political opportunity (if not also complicit).
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