5/6/2017 13 Comments Fakebook? #15For my last blog, I cannot help but once again write about my most favorite company, Facebook. It is not that I adore Facebook, in fact, it is just the opposite. And rarely does a day go by where we are not reading about something they have done, or not done, and what it may mean to all the faithful Facebook followers, or in my case, the non-believers. The reality of FB is that when they began, the purpose and design of the company was really rather simple- connect family, friends, and connections through this rather vague and unassuming website. Seems simple enough, and it perhaps it was. But not for long, the FB of today is a global company that employs thousands, is the platform of endless political beliefs and agendas, and the pulpit of many a person with a passion for exploiting the masses. In short, what started out as a simple and perhaps virtuous idea has become a monster that needs to be managed, and managing it is proving to be quite the problem. And my blog explores yet another FB ethical dilemma, and this time it is in the UK. Facebook has decided that it needed to purge “tens of thousands” of fake accounts in the UK, and all of this ahead of a general election in the UK. Seems rather curious to me, both in timing, and in content. Whether we like it, agree with it, or not, FB does in fact make a political statement with such actions, and it is very interesting that a company that was founded to be a platform of human connections has in fact become a platform for political agendas. When they made the decision to purge all these accounts, they really are telling us that they are responsible for the content that they deliver.
FB has already been accused of having a liberal bias with the filters it uses to determine what news is in fact “fake”, and what is not. It is commendable that they do have a well-designed system to determine how accurate and honest news is that is posted to the site. However, at the same time the problem they are encountering is they actually have become a source of amplification of news, whether it is factual or not. We all understand the enormous impact and presence that FB has, this cannot be denied. What remains as the truly important question is just how accurate are the filters and algorithms for determining the validity and honesty of that information. No different than any other media source, FB must create an environment that fosters the absolute best of journalism standards in reporting of news. Because the FB platform has changed so much since its inception, it has now become, and is known for, being a source of news and information. Because of that, and because of the enormous impact they have as a global presence they are obligated to provide news and information that has been thoroughly vetted and authenticated. Whether the news is in the UK, or the US, or anywhere else on the planet, Facebook must recognize the reality that it has become a source of news and information. If they wish to allow that information to be streamed to unlimited users without a filter then they must pay the consequences. A far better approach is for the company to do what all media companies do, and that is to qualify all reporting. Facebook, or Fakebook, only time will tell.
13 Comments
Cristina Cachux
5/10/2017 08:15:13 pm
I understand your frustration with Facebook. I, myself, do not use it and have no interest in using it for I found other social media platforms I like better. I think Facebook should definitely make the stride to be more informative with its news and much more subjective. However, in understanding this, I don't think we should Facebook completely responsible for filtering news because I don't think people should be going to Facebook as their primary source for news related content.
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Stephen Negron
5/11/2017 08:14:11 pm
Hello Luigi,
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Angela Bomarito
5/11/2017 09:57:18 pm
Hi Luigi, while Facebook is still one of the most popular social media sites. And with that, I don't think they necessarily need to make sure that all the news on there is accurate because they are not a news website. FB is somewhere where people can post and say whatever they want, whether it's true or not, because it's purpose is to serve as a social site. Not a reliable news source.
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Fernando Madrigal
5/13/2017 02:50:38 pm
Hello Luigi,
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Salvador Ramirez
5/13/2017 09:28:34 pm
Hello Luigi,
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Adrienne Horca
5/16/2017 01:52:46 pm
Luigi,
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Joseph Molina
5/16/2017 10:31:00 pm
Luigi,
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Ian Kindall
5/17/2017 12:20:08 am
I wrote my paper on fake news and how social networks are trying to deal with them. It is actually way harder for them to combat fake news than you might think. Just recently an article Facebook flagged as being fake went viral because people thought Facebook was trying to silence the poster.
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Alan Garcia
5/18/2017 12:53:49 pm
I feel that facebook was a nocanse way before people started posted about the political view. But see the point that you are making. But that is what the masses wanted and the company is as dynamic as the as the people wants it to be. That is why, mark didn’t think that the “Fake New” slandered all over facebook, effected the US election. People should see that, the majority of what’s on the website is an opinion.
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Pearce Reinsch
5/19/2017 08:48:15 pm
I could not agree with you more on this one. I am 100% anti-Facebook, ask anyone who knows me and they will validate that I have never had and never will have a Facebook page. There are so many other services that are not a cesspool of garbage posts to stay connected with people that are important in your life. Like you said, Facebook is a large source of information, but in this case it is certainly quantity over quality. Unfortunately, the way Facebook decides to present any information is as if that information is the truth. If this company had any shred of decency it would try to vet what they present as news before they even implement a news suggestion feature, but all they care about is user retention and ad revenue.
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5/20/2017 04:45:53 pm
I think Facebook got blown out of proportion and is now used as a news platform by some and that is why fake news is so wide spread on this website. The real purpose of the social media site is to connect people all over the world.
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Cammron Keehley
5/20/2017 10:22:38 pm
Hey Luigi,
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