“Facebook has endured scandal after scandal in the past two years. This one feels different,” Eric Johnson reports for Recode. “The New York Times published a jaw-dropping report Wednesday that laid out how the company sought to cover up knowledge of Russian meddling and discredit its critics; the paper said COO Sheryl Sandberg oversaw a campaign of dirty tricks while CEO Mark Zuckerberg ignored problems or deflected responsibility. And in short order, once-implausible questions about whether Zuckerberg would fire Sandberg or policy VP Joel Kaplan have become plausible.”
“But Recode’s Kara Swisher says no matter what, the buck has to stop with Zuckerberg himself,” Johnson reports. “‘Sheryl Sandberg.. really comes off the worst in this story, although I still cannot stand the ability of people to pretend that this is not all Mark Zuckerberg’s responsibility,’ she said on the latest episode of Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.”
Read more in the full article here.
“As evidence accumulated that Facebook’s power could also be exploited to disrupt elections, broadcast viral propaganda and inspire deadly campaigns of hate around the globe, Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Sandberg stumbled,” Sheera Frenkel, Nicholas Confessore, Cecilia Kang, Matthew Rosenberg and Jack Nicas report for The New York Times. “Bent on growth, the pair ignored warning signs and then sought to conceal them from public view. At critical moments over the last three years, they were distracted by personal projects, and passed off security and policy decisions to subordinates, according to current and former executives.”
“When Facebook users learned last spring that the company had compromised their privacy in its rush to expand, allowing access to the personal information of tens of millions of people to a political data firm linked to President Trump, Facebook sought to deflect blame and mask the extent of the problem,” Frenkel, Confessore, Kang, Rosenberg and Nicas report. “And when that failed — as the company’s stock price plummeted and it faced a consumer backlash — Facebook went on the attack. While Mr. Zuckerberg has conducted a public apology tour in the last year, Ms. Sandberg has overseen an aggressive lobbying campaign to combat Facebook’s critics, shift public anger toward rival companies and ward off damaging regulation. Facebook employed a Republican opposition-research firm to discredit activist protesters, in part by linking them to the liberal financier George Soros. It also tapped its business relationships, lobbying a Jewish civil rights group to cast some criticism of the company as anti-Semitic. In Washington, allies of Facebook, including Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader, intervened on its behalf. And Ms. Sandberg wooed or cajoled hostile lawmakers, while trying to dispel Facebook’s reputation as a bastion of Bay Area liberalism.”
“‘We’re not going to traffic in your personal life,’ Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in an MSNBC interview. ‘Privacy to us is a human right. It’s a civil liberty,” Frenkel, Confessore, Kang, Rosenberg and Nicas report. “(Mr. Cook’s criticisms infuriated Mr. Zuckerberg, who later ordered his management team to use only Android phones — arguing that the operating system had far more users than Apple’s.)”
MacDailyNews Take: Plus an eight-year-old could bug them. Privacy, don’t cha know?
“Then Facebook went on the offensive. Mr. Kaplan prevailed on Ms. Sandberg to promote Kevin Martin, a former Federal Communications Commission chairman and fellow Bush administration veteran, to lead the company’s American lobbying efforts. Facebook also expanded its work with Definers,” Frenkel, Confessore, Kang, Rosenberg and Nicas report. “On a conservative news site called the NTK Network, dozens of articles blasted Google and Apple for unsavory business practices… On Thursday, after this article was published, Facebook said that it had ended its relationship with Definers, without citing a reason.”
On and on it goes, getting worse the more you read, here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we’ve been advising for years now: Delete FaceBook!
As we’ve written previously, “If you trust Mark Zuckerberg to be the keeper of your photos, contacts, political views, religious beliefs, etc., you’re batshit insane.”
Instant messages sent by Mark Zuckerberg during Facebook’s early days, reported by Business Insider, May 13, 2010:
Zuckerberg: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuckerberg: Just ask
Zuckerberg: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend’s Name]: What? How’d you manage that one?
Zuckerberg: People just submitted it.
Zuckerberg: I don’t know why.
Zuckerberg: They “trust me”
Zuckerberg: Dumb fucks—
We use FaceBook as an RSS feed. Our CMS automatically reposts our article headlines and links them back to our website. That is our only interaction with Facebook and has been our only interaction with Facebook for years. We deleted our personal accounts [which we opened only so we could understand the Facebook phenomenon] many years ago.
If you want to share photos and videos with friends, text them using Apple’s end-to-end encrypted iMessage service. You need to control your social networking, not cede it to a gatekeeper like Facebook. – MacDailyNews, March 19, 2018
SEE ALSO:
Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook and Google may need to be broken up – November 1, 2018
Apple CEO Cook says companies are weaponizing our personal data, and he’s right – October 26, 2018
Apple CEO Cook promotes privacy as ‘fundamental human right’ via tweetstorm; asks ‘What kind of world do we want to live in?’ – October 24, 2018
CNN interview: Apple CEO Cook believes data collection by the likes of Google and Facebook has crossed the line – October 24, 2018
Video of data privacy keynote address from Apple CEO Cook – October 24, 2018
Apple CEO Cook backs comprehensive federal privacy laws in the U.S., warns data being ‘weaponized’ – October 24, 2018
FBI investigating Facebook security breach where attackers accessed 30 million users’ personal information – October 12, 2018
Google exposed user data, did not disclose to public fearing repercussions – October 10, 2018
After trying and failing to hide the issue, Alphabet pulls plug on Google+ after bug exposes data from up to 500,000 users – October 8, 2018
Facebook discovers security breach affecting 50 million users – September 28, 2018
Facebook is giving advertisers access to users’ shadow contact information – September 27, 2018
42% of U.S. users have ‘taken a break’ from Facebook; 28% have deleted the Facebook app in the past year – September 5, 2018
Researchers find Google harvests more data from Android – and Apple iOS – users than most people think – August 21, 2018
Google hit with lawsuit accusing them of tracking phone users regardless of privacy settings – August 20, 2018
Google tracks users movements even when explicitly told not to – Associated Press – August 13, 2018
Mark Zuckerberg loses $16 billion in record Facebook fall – July 26, 2018
Facebook stock plunges as users vanish – July 25, 2018
Apple highlights user privacy as Facebook exec steps down – June 14, 2018
The 18 things you may not realize Facebook knows about you: Firm reveals the extent of its spying in a 454-page document to U.S. Congress – June 12, 2018
Facebook confirms sharing users’ personal data with Chinese companies – June 6, 2018
Apple’s macOS Mojave removes integration with third-party internet accounts like Facebook – June 6, 2018
Apple borks Facebook’s pervasive personal data-harvesting operation – June 5, 2018
Apple requested ‘zero’ personal data in deals with Facebook – CEO Tim Cook – June 5, 2018
Facebook CEO blasts Apple’s latest privacy protections as ‘cute virtue signaling’ – June 5, 2018
More easily said than done for some. Though the scammers & identity thieves are alive and well on Facebook. You must be cautious and untrusting before clicking especially on stuff sent through Messenger. Though the idiots who attempt these scams are usually so inept at it it’s laughable.
Exactly.
Not a word from you and Mr Tinkle slamming Zuck the same way you slam Cook, no name calling, no phobic personal attacks, no implication that you know better than Cook … whats the deal here?
No fan of the Zuck Iceberg here. Another nerd in need of a good tar and feathering prefaced by some choice wedgies. Zuckerberg obviously has anti-social disorders that fail to flag in his own head when he crosses over the line. He never should’ve been running a social media service ESPECIALLY. How’s that?
So we believe the New York Times, Democrat Congress people, and George Soros when they conveniently agree with our opinions on Facebook?
I’m not buying it. One thing is clear. Soros wants Zuckerberg’s and Sandberg’s heads on twin sticks and from my perspective, if he hates them, they must be doing something good.
Too much blame is laid at the feet of Facebook. If you don’t know how to protect yourself on Facebook and you can’t tell when someone is playing to your personal prejudices in fake news, you really don’t belong on the internet. You also shouldn’t be watching CNN or FOX for that matter,
When I watched the CBS News piece on The NY Times article it was clear that a hit has been put out on Facebook. I was especially triggered by sleazy Congress people talking about what they might have to do to address the Facebook issue.
It’s all the same players, the sleaz team, Democrat politicians, Soros, and the media. They really need to give this Russian crap a rest too. No stupid meme or fake article or whatever made any difference in my opinion of Hillary Clinton.
Maybe Zuckerberg and company will figure out that they are giving a lot of money and support to people who aren’t their friends, not by any stretch of the imagination. Better gifted to charities.
Mass media and journalism, for the most part, have lost creditility in a huge way.
Nothing but tentacles of the powerful to drive agenda and propaganda in order to manipulate the masses.
Objectivity is out the window…
As usual, (99.7% of the time) I agree with the wisdom of Thelonious. You should have your own radio show or weekly column. I always find your perspectives to be well-thought-out and logical. How some people let their emotions run wild and triumph over logic is a mystery to me. Thanks Thelo!
Hear, hear. I’ll drink to that.
I also expect the triggered to give me multitudes of one stars.
Never been on face book, never will.
To me for the most part its cancer to our social culture.
Narcissism and fake facades and superficial friendships and cesspool of mis and disinformation in more ways than one…..all at the cost of the real .
Very well said!
Clearly, you really never have been on Facebook because you give a completely superficial description that is not based on YOUR experience, but based on what you have been told and I know you know better than that.
Facebook has been valuable to me for the following:
– Better job of tracking down bugs in tech products than most websites. You can have on going discussions with people.
– Keeping connected with friends and colleagues. People I have known for years, many who have relocated and are not just a walk down the street.
– Esoteric interests.. for me, people interested in Harley Davidson Motorcycles, especially the V-ROD. I also belong to a group that cherishes fine pens and watches.
– Book Clubs
– Anything and Everything Star Trek
– Pit Bull Dog Care
– Iguanas as Pets
“Fake facades” I mean seriously. It’s like anything else. It is what you make it. Twitter is the same way. If you want to follow idiots, you’ll get idiotic crap to follow. If you follow John Gruber, you’ll get decent tech commentary. It’s up to you. Twitter is a fantastic heads up news service. There is no law forcing you to follow Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi.
If you believe you’re going to get “Narcissism and fake facades and superficial friendships and cesspool of mis and disinformation in more ways than one…” that’s says more about you than Facebook. I could say the same thing about the MDN comment section. I can say the same thing about the New York Times and the rest of mainstream media.
It’s no different than REDDIT really, only the people on REDDIT can be a whole lot meaner.
I know Facebook has issues, but a lot of the crap they are accused of is just not fair.
Clearly you are not consideing all the possibilities TLM ….Are you?
I have a women sitting next to me every evening after work….for a good few hours. .. She is my wife… she used to be an EX facebook addict. Thank God no longer. Just an occasional visitor now.
So nope TLM… my comment is not superficial… ( yours may be though) …its something that i observed directly for years with my wife sitting next to me and constantly pointing out/showing me whats going on….
Besides my wife i have friends that i actually personally meet and hang out with.
Once in a while they show me what they observe too , most of the time with ridicule and distaste. … . Make belief pics and comments, misinformation, disinformation and gossip…
And all that TLM and the fact that i don’t live under a rock has allowed me to assess FB personally.. besides what i also read.
As for your other comment ..
“…that’s says more about you than Facebook”… unnecessary jab TLM.. way below you. Quite disappointing!
And Clearly a poorly thought out comment. ….I said i dont use face book. Irrelevant and an unnecessary comment .
Still ….Im glad you have found what you consider to be a healthy aspect of facebook… Im not so sure if what you do there is really all that different from what i described in ‘most areas’ though …… in my book, from a relationship aspect, its very superficial. But to each their own.
Most every activity you mentioned can be had in person through social clubs etc…. and for some it still does and for most that is how it used to be. Yes it requires more effort.. but it also is more real and personal and offers more warmth and deeper connection.
As for keeping in touch with old friends who are far away.. i make the effort to write them directly and exchange pics and thoughts. It is way more personal and caring that way …
They are not treated as part of the herd….and i am not either.
As for work and interest related information.. i resort to many forums.. independent sites.. and prefer not to be chained to singular entity with every activity and interest i have ..FB! ………but again to each their own.
My comment was not about internet TLM… it was/is about facebook and in general social media.
And i am not accusing Facebook management of anything….. i am just of the belief that its existence is cancer to healthy social culture ! (And every other word i used to describe it)
Facebook management does not make it so… but they provide all the tools.. its how society, in general, uses it that brings the cancer to the social structure.
Yeah, it’s more of a reflection of the person doing the searching. I hear the Internet is full of White Supremacist websites. Never seen one. Can’t even prove they’re real. I guess its a matter of what you want to find. Sorta like life in general.
I’m certain that wherever I turn, I will receive advice that requires first-world critical-thinking skills to assess. There are very high stakes to be won for acquiring enough subscriptions, likes, clicks, looks and even hovers on the internet, and the bar is appallingly low. House-breakers need only case a dozen houses in a neighbourhood in order to identify a worthy target. Telemarketers employ computers to search for vulnerable widows exhaustively, day in and day out, and manage to prosper. State actors, as they’re euphemistically called, siphon off billions of dollars annually from banks, and diddle with national elections just for fun.
The scale of the internet has enabled even modest criminals to prosper, and social networks have enabled bigger and bigger ripoffs. There’s as much larceny as every, perhaps more. We can thank Al Gore for this crime wave. He may have been right about the environmental crisis, but he opened a Pandora’s Box with his legislation enabling what is now the worst crisis of all, cybercrime and cyberterrorism.
Sheryl Sandberg is a piece of shit and should be fired. Zuckerberg was just an incompetent moron. Sheryl was also to busy traipsing around selling that stupid fuc—— book when she should’ve been doing her job.
I’ve never been on that mess. It’s seemed stupid from the beginning to me. And I ain’t even very smart.