The case against Facebook
Internal documents reveal a company out of control, disregarding its own reports that it is causing deep social harm
Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, October 27, by Justin Giovannetti. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: A sweeping vaccine mandate; the eventual end of MIQ; Fonterra’s big payout; Australia’s climate target; but first, Facebook is under heavy fire.
Regulators around the world could take a second look at Facebook. (Getty Images)
The Facebook Papers. The social media giant is at the centre of a firestorm after a trove of internal documents underscored earlier testimony to the US Congress that the company has repeatedly put profit ahead of regulating harmful content. CNN, one of 17 news organisations behind the Facebook Papers, has detailed how the company failed to stop the storming of the US capitol by insurrectionists, did nothing to stop the platform’s use enabling violence across Africa and has been aware for years that human traffickers have used its services. In a telling anecdote from the company’s own reports, employees created a fictional profile in 2019 which followed former president Donald Trump. Within days the account’s feed was awash in QAnon conspiracy theories. The papers paint a disturbing picture of a workforce aware it was causing deep social harm and bosses who ignored warnings and knowingly misled the public.
A double-standard around the world. While the focus of the documents is on the United States and the company’s failure to act on repeated internal warnings that it was fuelling electoral misinformation, the full Facebook Papers also point towards the company’s struggles around the world. As NPR reports, the company’s employees have highlighted its inability to police content in languages that aren’t English. As a result, people have used Facebook in Myanmar, Afghanistan and India to spread hate speech. Apple has threatened to pull the company’s Facebook and Instagram apps twice because of concerns they are being used in the Middle East for human trafficking. According to The Verge, the company was caught off guard by Covid-19 vaccine misinformation and said its ability to deal with offending comments was described internally as bad in English and “basically non-existent elsewhere”.
Facebook has responded. The company began waging a public relations battle against the documents days before their release—the reporting has only started, a steady drip of stories is still coming. Despite facing a consortium of most of America’s first-rate newsrooms, the company emailed journalists to dismiss the coming reporting. On Monday, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told investors not to worry: “Good-faith criticism helps us get better, but my view is that we are seeing a coordinated effort to selectively use leaked documents to paint a false picture of our company.”
The world’s regulators now face a powerful call to act. In an astonishing essay, The Atlantic has detailed how Facebook shrugged as it became aware it was a threat to global democracy and a boon to authoritarians. Even employees inside the company have been unable to get it to change its ways despite years of warnings. Regulators around the world have responded to Facebook in recent years by proposing new online safety bills or increasing privacy laws. However, most moves have been small and faced stiff resistance. The Spinoff’s Duncan Greive wrote earlier this month about the need to regulate the company. While the debate over misinformation isn’t new, the scale of it and possible damage now seems likely to bring about real change. Appropriating Jonathan Swift from 1710: “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it”. The truth might get a helping hand.
If you like what you’re reading, we need your support. The Spinoff is doing our utmost to keep you updated on Covid-19 related news. Every dollar our members contribute directly funds our editorial team and is devoted to ensuring we do more. Click here to learn how you can support the team today.
The government is introducing a sweeping vaccine mandate. Up to 40% of the country’s workforce could soon be covered by a vaccine order as the government has said it will extend the mandate to include any worker of a business requiring a vaccine passport at entry. Restaurants, gyms, cafes, hairdressers and other businesses that require the passports under the upcoming traffic light system will need to comply, Stuff reports. Businesses choosing not to require vaccine passports will remain contactless, have caps on the number of patrons or will be completely closed depending on the colour level. The government is working on a simplified system to guide all business owners on when they can require workers to be vaccinated.
The Covid numbers: There are 37 cases in hospital and 4 in ICU/HDU. The average age of someone hospitalised with the virus is 45. There are now 1,211 active cases in New Zealand. 75 new community cases were reported in Auckland yesterday, 4 in Waikato. 10,660 people were vaccinated on Monday.
The Spinoff’s Covid data tracker has the latest figures.
The end of MIQ is coming, eventually. The government is set to unveil today that stays at managed-isolation for some returnees will now be shorter, Newsroom reports. The move will open up more spots at the border. More changes will be coming over the next few months, eventually leading to a system where New Zealanders will be isolating at home after returning from overseas. It’s unclear when tourists, business travellers and students will be allowed to enter the country.
The Spinoff is hiring a Māori politics reporter and a Pacific communities editor.
The application period to apply for both jobs closes in early November. The two new editorial positions are made possible by NZ On Air’s Public Interest Journalism Fund.
A near-record payout from Fonterra is coming. The co-operative is planning to pay about $8.40-per kilogram of milk solids, it's one of the highest prices ever. It’s great news for rural New Zealand and farmers facing a mountain of debt. According to RNZ, Fonterra had forecast it would be paying almost $2 less only a few weeks ago. One of the big changes is that while demand from China has been weak, other markets have come forward in search of New Zealand milk.
Australia commits to 2050 net zero emissions. The Guardian reports that the country’s prime minister made the announcement before heading to the climate summit in Glasgow. Scott Morrison said his plan is a practical way for the country to cut its emissions, but some experts aren’t so sure. Despite Australia having some of the highest per capita emissions in the world, nearly half of the cuts are from unspecified technological breakthroughs, unexplained global trends and offsets.
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news?
Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz
Climate change minister and Green co-leader James Shaw (Hagen Hopkins/Getty)
Right now on The Spinoff: George Driver takes out a measuring tape and checks New Zealand's emissions before the Glasgow summit. Emma Vitz looks at the data to figure out which jobs have the highest risk of Covid transmission. Charlotte Muru-Lanning reports on whether government-funded vouchers could help the hospitality industry. The Spinoff Review of Books asks locked-down writers the worst question you can ever ask a writer. Don't do this. A number of The Spinoff reporters (partnership content) write about the best moments from Succession so far.
For a longer read today, the case to think really big on climate. With the world’s attention turning towards the climate summit, George Monbiot writes in The Guardian about the failure of imagination to tackle the climate crisis. He argues that humanity can rise to the challenge, but first, political leaders must choose to mobilise resources to face it. Experts warned the US government after the Pearl Harbour attack that its plans to build a massive arsenal were doomed to fail. Instead, they smashed the once unthinkable targets. Thanks to reader Kate for sending this in.
It's Beauden v Richie before the All Blacks play in Wales. The team faces a competitive test match in Wales on Sunday, but first, coach Ian Foster has to chose who will wear the No. 10 jersey. Both players have different talents and Stuff looks at the merits of each.
That's it for The Bulletin. If you want to support the work we do at The Spinoff, please check out our membership programme.