If you keep up with any social media commentary on Facebook, you already know that many reports suggest it had a hand in the last election. Before 2016, Facebook execs did not understand their platform’s power. Even worse, they did not recognize the plethora of fake accounts from Russia and others who blatantly used it to push for their candidate of choice.
Since 2016, Facebook has been criticized from both sides of the political spectrum for its platform being used for hate speech and misinformation. They have also allowed millions of accounts that are either fake or legitimate to espouse conspiracy theories based more on fiction than fact.
While Facebook leaders say they are working hard to keep this kind of content off their site, given the number of things I see on this social media site daily, I would say they are failing miserably at this quest.
Zuckerberg and Facebook are in this position because they refuse to acknowledge that they are a publishing platform. Instead, they claim a forum for “free expression” even if that expression could kill someone recently when warned about potential violence related to the Kenosha, Wisconsin, and did not take that post down immediately.
So the right and left are angry with Zuckerberg and Facebook, and he is getting strong pushback from many of his employees who are feeling embarrassed that they work for him and Facebook.
Over the last two weeks, articles have come out with comments from employees at Facebook now, and those who worked at Facebook in the past, and a consistent them comes from both groups. The themes are those dismayed at Zuckerberg’s leadership and his refusal to get aggressive in dealing with the impact of his policies that allowed this to happen.
They don’t speak out about this publicly for fear of retribution or loss of their jobs, but the mumbling and grumbling internally I hear is getting louder. These two groups also fear that Facebook will again have a significant impact on the election, and while Zuckerberg should get the most heat from this, they fear that just working for Facebook will taint their own careers.
Zuckerberg and his leadership team have delivered a medium that is both good and bad. Good in that it allows us to connect with friends and family as never before. It gives us national and local news, albeit often skewed by political bias. However, I would argue that its use as a platform for misinformation, conspiracy theories, and hate speech overshadows the good and dominates that site so that its influence has been bad for democracy. And it has empowered authoritarian leadership even in some democratic leaning countries such as Turkey.
Even with the new safeguards Zuckerberg and Facebook have put in place for this election and his investment of $300 million “to make sure local counties and states have the resources they need to handle these unprecedented conditions, and that people are aware that the infrastructure is in place to make every vote count so they can accept the result of the election as legitimate,”
I fear that this election has already been compromised by Facebook’s role in giving people a platform for misinformation, conspiracy theories, and hate speech.
Both sides will condemn Facebook no matter which candidate wins the US Election in November, Zuckerberg, and Facebook, and he will be the most hated man in America after the election.
