Thom Hartmann Program: Zuckerberg’s Surrender to Digital Authoritarianism Should Terrify You

Jan 8, 2025 | Why are social media companies bowing to the demands of the far right? Zuckerberg's latest move could be a sign that the far right now controls not only traditional media but also social media.

Facebook and Instagram to Get Rid of Fact Checkers, Mark Zuckerberg Announces | BBC News

Jan 7, 2025 | Meta is abandoning the use of independent fact checkers on Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with X-style "community notes" where commenting on the accuracy of posts is left to users.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said third-party moderators were "too politically biased" and it was "time to get back to our roots around free expression".

Zuckerberg and other tech executives are seeking to improve relations with US President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office later this month.

In a wide-ranging news conference on Tuesday, when asked whether he thought Meta was introducing the changes due to threats he had made towards the company, Trump replied, "Probably."

At the same event, he also said he wanted to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.


With Trump in the White House, there's trouble ahead. BIG trouble. Very BIG trouble. We have a rough ride ahead of us. – © Mark Alexander

Gravitas: How Mark Zuckerberg Lost His Fortune

Apr 29, 2022 • Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was once touted to become the world's richest man, he has now slipped to the 12th spot. Zuckerberg was the face of the social media revolution, he has now become the face of big tech's tyranny. Palki Sharma brings you the story of Zuckerberg's fall.

Peter Thiel verlässt Facebook – für Trump

Der deutschstämmige Investor Peter Thiel | Bild: AP
DEUTSCHSTÄMMIGER INVESTOR
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Peter Thiel hat eine prägende Rolle in der Geschichte von Facebook gespielt. Nun will sich der Investor noch stärker in die Politik einmischen – und Donald Trumps Agenda unterstützen.

Der deutschstämmige Investor Peter Thiel wird den Verwaltungsrat von Meta Platforms verlassen. Wie der Mutterkonzern des sozialen Netzwerks Facebook am Montag nach Börsenschluss mitteilte, will sich Thiel bei der kommenden Aktionärsversammlung nicht mehr zur Wiederwahl stellen. Vorstandschef Mark Zuckerberg gab keine direkte Begründung, sagte aber, es sei ihm immer klar gewesen, dass Thiel irgendwann „andere Interessen“ verfolgen wolle. » | Von Roland Lindner, New York | Dienstag, 8. Februar 2022

Facebook Wants You to Connect with God. On Facebook.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The company is intensifying formal partnerships with faith groups across the United States and shaping the future of religious experience.

Months before the megachurch Hillsong opened its new outpost in Atlanta, its pastor sought advice on how to build a church in a pandemic.

From Facebook.

The social media giant had a proposition, Sam Collier, the pastor, recalled in an interview: to use the church as a case study to explore how churches can “go further farther on Facebook.”

For months Facebook developers met weekly with Hillsong and explored what the church would look like on Facebook and what apps they might create for financial giving, video capability or livestreaming. When it came time for Hillsong’s grand opening in June, the church issued a news release saying it was “partnering with Facebook” and began streaming its services exclusively on the platform.

Beyond that, Mr. Collier could not share many specifics — he had signed a nondisclosure agreement.

“They are teaching us, we are teaching them,” he said. “Together we are discovering what the future of the church could be on Facebook.”

Facebook, which recently passed $1 trillion in market capitalization, may seem like an unusual partner for a church whose primary goal is to share the message of Jesus. But the company has been cultivating partnerships with a wide range of faith communities over the past few years, from individual congregations to large denominations, like the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ. » | Elizabeth Dias | Sunday, July 25, 2021

Facebook Bans Trump Indefinitely

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Facebook will block President Trump on its platforms, including Instagram, at least until the end of his term, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday.

“The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. »

Opinion: Facebook Has Been a Disaster for the World

THE NEW YORK TIMES: How much longer are we going to allow its platform to foment hatred and undermine democracy?

For years, Myanmar’s military used Facebook to incite hatred and genocidal violence against the country’s mostly Muslim Rohingya minority group, leading to mass death and displacement. It took until 2018 for Facebook to admit to and apologize for its failure to act.

Two years later, the platform is, yet again, sowing the seeds for genocidal violence. This time it’s in Ethiopia, where the recent assassination of Hachalu Hundessa, a singer and political activist from the country’s Oromo ethnic group, led to violence in its capital city, Addis Ababa. This bloodshed was, according to Vice News, “supercharged by the almost-instant and widespread sharing of hate speech and incitement to violence on Facebook, which whipped up people’s anger.” This follows a similar incident in 2019, where disinformation shared on Facebook helped catapult violencethat claimed 86 lives in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.

Facebook has been incredibly lucrative for its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who ranks among the wealthiest men in the world. But it’s been a disaster for the world itself, a powerful vector for paranoia, propaganda and conspiracy-theorizing as well as authoritarian crackdowns and vicious attacks on the free press. Wherever it goes, chaos and destabilization follow. » | Jamelle Bouie, Opinion columnist | Friday, September 18, 2020

Early Facebook Investor: We Need to Hold Big Tech Accountable for Creating “Toxic Digital Spills”

Early Facebook investor Roger McNamee talks about big tech companies are amplifying hate speech and disinformation. He also talks more about his book, “Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.”

Far-right Facebook Groups 'Spreading Hate to Millions in Europe'

THE GUARDIAN: Avaaz uncovers 500 accounts using fake news to spread white supremacy message

A web of far-right Facebook accounts spreading fake news and hate speech to millions of people across Europe has been uncovered by the campaign group Avaaz.

Facebook, which is struggling to clean up the platform and salvage its reputation, has already taken down accounts with about 6 million followers before voting in the European elections begins on Thursday. It was still investigating hundreds of other accounts with an additional 26 million followers, Avaaz said.

In total, the group reported more than 500 suspect groups and Facebookpages operating across France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Poland and Spain. Most were either spreading fake news or using false pages and profiles to artificially boost the content of parties or sites they supported, in violation of Facebook’s rules.

The networks were far more popular than the official pages of far-right and anti-EU populist groups in those countries. The pages taken down by Facebook so far had been viewed half a billion times, Avaaz estimated. » | Emma Graham-Harrison | Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Facebook Bans Far-right Groups Including BNP, EDL and Britain First

THE GUARDIAN: Number of organisations and individuals permanently banned for being ‘dangerous’

Facebook has permanently banned a number of far-right organisations and individuals including the British National party (BNP), the English Defence League (EDL) and Britain First under its “dangerous individuals and organisations” policy.

The ban, which came into effect at midday on Thursday, extends beyond the groups and individuals specifically cited as hate organisations: posts and other content that “expresses praise or support” for them will also be banned, as will users who coordinate support for the groups. » | Alex Hern | Thursday, April 18, 2019

Facebook Are 'Morally Bankrupt Liars' Says New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner

THE GUARDIAN: John Edwards calls out social media giant after Christchurch attack for refusing to accept responsibility for harm

New Zealand’s privacy commissioner has lashed out at social media giant Facebook in the wake of the Christchurch attacks, calling the company “morally bankrupt pathological liars”.

The commissioner used his personal Twitter page to lambast the social network, which has also drawn the ire of prime minister Jacinda Ardern for hosting a livestream of the attacks that left 50 dead, which was then copied and shared all over the internet.

“Facebook cannot be trusted,” wrote Edwards.

“They are morally bankrupt pathological liars who enable genocide (Myanmar), facilitate foreign undermining of democratic institutions. » | Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin | Monday, April 8, 2019

Where Is Mark Zuckerberg? Tech Mogul Stays Mum on Data Breach Scandal

Glenn Greenwald: Is Facebook Operating as an Arm of the Israeli State by Removing Palestinian Posts?

Does Mark Zuckerberg Want to Run for President? - BBC Newsnight

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been touring the United States to meet and connect with the American people. Newsnight's Emily Maitlis followed his footsteps to find out why.

Mark Zuckerberg Denies 'Tilting' the Election

Nov. 11, 2016 - 0:58 - Features & Faces: Facebook founder denies the social media giant's news algorithm tilted the election

The Glazov Gang – Banned: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad

Listening Post: Turkey: From Failed Coup to Media Crackdown

Nonie Darwish Moment: Facebook Punishes Me For Violating Sharia

Angela Merkel Confronts Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg on Hate-Post Policy

Revealed: Facebook's New Plan to Censor "Right Wing Speech"

Ezra Levant of TheRebel.media reports on Facebook's new Online Civil Courage Initiative, designed to censor "right wing hate speech" online after the mass Muslim migrant rapes in Cologne, Germany. Why doesn't Facebook target Muslim radicalism online, too?