It's Time to Break Up Facebook.

[MountainRaven]

FB is much closer to the telephone than a newspaper. Let's try to be a bit more honest in comparisons.

Can you imagine how much sooner Ma Bell would have been broken up if they were blacklisting people from a phone?

No, they're pretty much like Hearst newspapers. They control a lot, but no monopoly. Not even close, really.

Call me when they shut down Infowars.

[fledge]

It's actually becoming less meaningful by the day, 15 million users lost in the last 2 years for various reasons.(1) I remember when My Space was the place to be, now it's nadda. Tons of examples. That's the cycle of it, and I don't really see the corporate merger example as equivalent there. If say cell companies can all merge they'd effectively end competition due to owning all the cell towers and lines such, effecting a monopoly. That's not the case with FB and the net say.

(1) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wh...ars-2019-03-07

The article says a considerable number of youth are migrating to Instagram whose numbers were up. Instagram/Facebook are the same considering the topic at hand.

No, they're pretty much like Hearst newspapers. They control a lot, but no monopoly. Not even close, really.

Call me when they shut down Infowars.

Not sure if you’re being ironic but that’s been all the news the last two weeks. Here’s one of hundred articles on banning InfoWars and other influential non-progressive establishment voices.

https://www.activistpost.com/2019/05...emning-it.html

[jsbhike]

Facebook is a private corporation. If you don't like it, don't use it.

I don't know for sure about Facebook, but I do tend to wonder just how "private" large businesses are since that implies the business is in operation solely due to making a product/offering a service people want to pay for.

Are all the companies down through the years who have received bailouts really "private"?

How much similar, but on a smaller scale and/or with slightly different details, funding were they receiving before the windfall that made the news?

[WillBrink]

The article says a considerable number of youth are migrating to Instagram whose numbers were up. Instagram/Facebook are the same considering the topic at hand.

But my point stands. Social media platforms come and go, and end of the day, they can dictate what's on them as they so choose as private corp entities. Personally, I'd me much more concerned about Google as it relates to actually controlling what/who people see and do not see as it fits their agenda.

[CleverNickname]

IMO the best solution would be something like this: https://secushare.org/

[Todd.K]

This is much bigger than just FB. But FB and the other big tech remain on top through practices that are not allowed in other sectors. How many alternative companies have been bought out and their innovations rolled into FB, Google, etc?

And I'm fine with a publisher publishing what they choose, but you all seem to ignore that these companies are avoiding the responsibility of being a publisher by claiming to be like an online public square. They shouldn't have it both ways.

[1168]

This is much bigger than just FB. But FB and the other big tech remain on top through practices that are not allowed in other sectors. How many alternative companies have been bought out and their innovations rolled into FB, Google, etc?

Snip.

Is that not common practice in many industries? Firearms and accessories, are kind of obvious in this forum, but I can name others, also. Not implying good or bad, just common.

[vicious_cb]

No, they're pretty much like Hearst newspapers. They control a lot, but no monopoly. Not even close, really.

Call me when they shut down Infowars.

Tech oligarchies like FB, Twitter, Google are tools for mass communication. Good luck trying to win an election when these tech giants deplatform you so you cant get your message out. These arent private companies anymore, these more like virtual town squares.

If you think social media is just some website or app you have completely underestimated its influence. You realize the entire arab spring revolution started on social media? Social media helped the POTUS get elected.

When social media can literally TOPPLE GOVERNMENTS you really shouldnt dismiss how much control these tech giants can exert.

[26 Inf]

I'm not sure where I come down on this. I understand the reason for controlling/breaking up monopolies, but Facebook is not on the same level as Ma Bell was, or your power company is (different industries but both regulated).

In Facebook's case, you can choose an alternative social media platform, although as many mention probably not as widely used or streamlined.

On the other hand, Facebook is so pervasive that it's censorship decisions impact the free spread of information.

What would you say if your cell service provider started an editing program that shut down calls based on content? Is there a difference?

[26 Inf]

Tech oligarchies like FB, Twitter, Google are tools for mass communication. Good luck trying to win an election when these tech giants deplatform you so you cant get your message out. These arent private companies anymore, these more like virtual town squares.

If you think social media is just some website or app you have completely underestimated its influence. You realize the entire arab spring revolution started on social media? Social media helped the POTUS get elected.

When social media can literally TOPPLE GOVERNMENTS you really shouldnt dismiss how much control these tech giants can exert.

Excellent points.