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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFacebook Knew Its Algorithm Fed QAnon Content to Users Within a Week
Facebook knew its recommendation algorithm was a problem, so it set up a study to test out just how bad the problem was.
In the study, entitled Carols Journey to QAnonA Test User Study of Misinfo & Polarization Risks Encountered through Recommendation Systems, Facebook set up some brand-new accounts.
Each of these accounts followed a small number of high-quality or verified conservative-interest pages, such as Fox News, former President Donald Trump, and former first lady Melania Trump. The study found that within just one day, Page recommendations had already devolved toward polarizing content.
Within two days, recommendations began to include conspiracy content. It took less than 1 week to get a QAnon recommendation, the report found.
The shocking revelations about how Facebook mishandled the rise of QAnonas well as other militarized social movementsare revealed in one of eight whistleblower complaints filed by former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week and published by CBS on Monday evening.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5v4y/facebooks-algorithm-spread-qanon-content-to-new-users
Johnny2X2X
(19,069 posts)But they don't want to.
sboatcar
(415 posts)And that's the all important thing to them.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)calimary
(81,323 posts)How about a total takedown? Temporary at first, so they get a taste of what it feels like?
Sorry. Im just fucking OUT of fucking PATIENCE!!!
Mosby
(16,319 posts)UpInArms
(51,284 posts)and, yes, I know some say that it is good for them
It is just not so good for the rest of the world
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)was on the wrong side?
Johonny
(20,852 posts)The stock would be over a 1000 $ a share easy. He's been the boat anchor of bad news from the beginning. He set up the company so it's near impossible to oust him, but if he were CEO of any other company, he'd have been fired. He's toxic.
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)Or at least retool it for enjoyment for all without the hate algorithm, highly profitable math formula for sure, set on overdrive?
Asking for a Friend.
Johonny
(20,852 posts)They just don't give a shit. More than that, they will suspend you for pointing it out.
dalton99a
(81,526 posts)And he doesn't give a shit
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)Jilly_in_VA
(9,983 posts)conspiracy theories about the outage made the rounds without Facebook, so it ain't all on the Zuck Truck.
I am not in the "Facebook is evil" camp because I know how to curate my FB account so I don't see the crap that comes around. I block people who send it and I don't depend on it for my news. I honestly wasn't aware that there were people who did, but there are people who are that stupid everywhere, I guess. There's also Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok. I use Reddit, but mostly for the genealogy forum which is incredibly useful, and for the Today I Learned forum, which is fun and interesting bits of trivia. I also use Twitter. TikTok, no. My point is, there are all kinds of ways to get your rumors and there always were.
Funny thing, though. I find I use FB a lot less since I consigned it, Reddit, and other non-news sites to a secondary window. I keep my primary e-mail, news, a couple of women's basketball forums, and DU on the main window.
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)is unwittingly aiding and abetting the evil that infects all hosted inside.
Butterflylady
(3,544 posts)I don't care what you do or don't do. Have or have not, block or don't block, you are still part of the problem.
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)calimary
(81,323 posts)Last edited Tue Oct 5, 2021, 09:05 PM - Edit history (1)
And I still dont buy books by crooks.
Its what you patronize. What you support - with your participation, your attention, and your money.
But people say theyre using it for benign purposes, so theyre not part of the problem. Ive surrendered the argument on that front.
calimary
(81,323 posts)But whatever. I can only control what my own little part of it is, much though I wish that were different. My Facebook page probably has cobwebs on it by now. I make an exception for our Indivisible page where everybodys asked to boost posts so I help there. But thats about it.
Demsrule86
(68,593 posts)We should use it to counteract the right-wing message and not try to deny others essentially free speech.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)Jilly_in_VA
(9,983 posts)I was pointing out that there are just as many other ways to get conspiracy theories around without Facebook...Twitter, TikTok, and those awful spawns of the right, Telegram and 4kun. So back off.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)Jilly_in_VA
(9,983 posts)I think that's a basic rule here. You're skating a little close to the edge here, hon. Back off.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)That is a simple fact and it doesn't skate close to any edges, hon.
Jilly_in_VA
(9,983 posts)with your insinuating "too smart" remark and that was enough. Welcome to Block City, hon. Bye now.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)LeftInTX
(25,383 posts)luv2fly
(2,475 posts)Scary to think.
I understand the various rationales people bring forth to justify their Facebook use, but I haven't yet found one that there aren't substitutes for so that people don't have to support a platform complicit in so many of societies woes.
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)thousands of computers, corporate, personal and governmental for months, in anonymity.
How hard for a computer genius, like Zuckerber to cloak equally insidious codes equally long periods of time?
Until perhaps finally and unassailably revealed by a good person, one day, many days too late to for democracy and decency and personal privacy compensated for the carnages caused?
DownriverDem
(6,229 posts)the RW crap. You can block those posts and ads.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)And before you say no you aren't, yes you are.
Bear Creek
(883 posts)Joined a group while off on COVID leave. The group was a Q site and talked about the armed over throw of our country. I reported them. Got a notice that it offended me and they have the right to post what they wanted.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)"high-quality or verified conservative-interest pages..." should include the phrase "as well as..."
Harker
(14,024 posts)AngryOldDem
(14,061 posts)Yeah, its great for keeping up with far-flung family, finding long-lost friends, and connecting with like-minded people. But theres this dark side of it too, which Zuckerberg and his company have been enabling for too damn long. Its not so much the people using FB, as the algorithms FB uses that is the problem. This is what seems to be conveniently overlooked by a lot of people. I dont particularly give a shit if people use it, but I do give a shit if its powers-that-be, through negligence or malice, rig it to get people angry and violent, or cater to those groups that do, all for profit.
Likewise its exploitation through Insta of a very vulnerable early teen market.
Cue the But youre attacking innocent Facebook users! crowd in 3
2
1
Im not. But this shows why some government regulation of entities is still very much needed.
Scrivener7
(50,955 posts)and manipulate elections and policies FOR THE RIGHT.
And remember: Facebook had a dedicated office in trump Tower to help the trump campaign and Cambridge Analytica TAKE all the data of 200,000,000 users without permission, categorize each of those users, and then use PSY OPS on them to get them to vote for TFG.
If you are on it, you are abetting this.
Hekate
(90,714 posts)Demsrule86
(68,593 posts)Facebook to our advantage or the GOP does it better and we pay a price. It is not going anywhere. It is a private company and there is something called free speech which I believe in.