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Updated: November 22, 2021 @ 3:20 pm
How many times do we need to hear Mark Zuckerberg testify on Capitol Hill and say, “We are sorry and we’ll do better. We have to do better.”I am disgusted by that canned apology and do not believe him for one second.
Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Horwitz recently reported that Facebook rewards and promotes outrageous content despite their ability to curtail the vitriol. Facebook opted not to lessen the prominence of divisive and/or inaccurate posts because it would have hurt their growth metrics.
Thus, the most outrageous items circulate more heavily and negatively affect society by leading to even more division.
In the aftershocks of the whistleblower’s testimony on Capitol Hill, Facebook decides to move forward with a rebranding strategy. Now, all will hail the Metaverse as people will be able to “virtually” see a movie with their “friends.”
The constant pull by the current business model for more engagement and more outrage cannot exist without further degradation of society. This has to stop and Congress needs to act.
Facebook should be required to do three things: 1) Ban all platform advertising, 2) Allow receipt of posts and comments from friends through the “newsfeed” in simple chronological order without any algorithm treatment, and 3) Eliminate all posting of outside “news” media. News should be from trusted and vetted journalists and can be obtained from the traditional media. Instead of advertisers, Facebook should rely on user subscriptions for income. This instantly removes the pull to have even more screen time in order to make money.
The current business model will never work and must be changed. My idea may not be the answer, but if Congress doesn’t do something to tackle the beast, we can truly consider ourselves deservedly “Zucked.”
Larry Timberlake
Webster Groves