It's hard to dislike Facebook. Namely, because there's no dislike button. Only a select group of users have been given the contentious dislike (they call it a downvote) button. This pilot project will decide whether Facebook wants to introduce an element of negativity to its platform.
Because as we all know, Facebook has been nothing but puppies and rainbows until now.
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan. I wouldn't be sad to see this social platform vanish into the Internet ether, but I know it won't. It's like trying to eliminate crack cocaine from the streets – there are simply too many users. Even I, an occasional user, can't get myself to push the delete button (if there even is one.)
While not a full-fledged addict, I still need that hit every now and then – to catch up on the "news." This is a loose term, similar to suggesting the National Enquirer is a newspaper. It reminds me of a line from the movie, So I Married an Axe Murderer, where the main character's mother defends her favourite gossip tabloid: "This newspaper contains facts. Look at this: 'Pregnant man gives birth.' It's a fact!"
As we know, there are facts and alternative facts.
Facebook facilitates the circulation of alternative facts, including made-up news stories that appear to be from legitimate sources. And it's been nothing short of reckless when it comes to our personal data.
The revelation that Facebook's data has been misused for political purposes shouldn't come as a surprise. We sometimes forget that this is a company run by a by a male millennial CEO who became a billionaire at age 24. It's like putting your teenaged son in charge of the family's online security. You'd rather not, but you have no idea how to change your computer's settings.
Facebook, as it turns out, has been offering companies free access to your data because it chooses not to enforce its privacy policies. App developers reportedly have unlimited access to your – and sometimes your friends' – personal information. One developer created "ghost" profiles of children who played its online game. You don't have to completely understand how this works to know it's spooky.
To be fair, we share data with all the tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft. Yet there's something nefarious about Facebook, with its access to our personal details, shares and likes.
It's creepy when Facebook may know you better than your loved ones. According to a 2015 Cambridge University study, there's no need for online surveys to determine a user's personal traits. By aggregating seemingly innocuous data, such as your preference for music and TV shows, personality profiles can be made with shocking accuracy.
And this is just by monitoring your likes. Researchers showed that with over 70 Facebook likes, a company can know your personal traits better than your friends. With over 150 likes, they know you better than your siblings and parents. And with over 300, there's a pretty good chance they know you better than your spouse. (I'm sure the threshold is much lower for some.)
Until recently, it was thought that this data was used primarily for advertising purposes. Most people willingly give up their data for targeted ads on shoes or flights.
But now we know the data can be used to shape elections. In an age of dying newspapers – real news – the proliferation of misinformation is a threat to democracy.
Facebook is a careless and complicit facilitator.
The question is: How much do we dislike?
