Facebook Sucks. And it’s dying.
Ever wondered why you see an ad on Facebook that seems to be calling your name?
Perhaps you need a new pair of running shoes and have just been talking to a friend about it – and an hour later you see an ad for a pair of running shoes on your feed.
Yes, this could be a weird coincidence, but in the world of Facebook, there’s no such thing as coincidences – just deliberate and intentional actions, all in the name of profit.
You see, Facebook began all those years ago in a college dorm room, and even then it had a murky start.
However, the beast it has grown to become is out of control, a greedy, monopolizing medusa that must be stopped before it infringes on basic human rights and takes away the meaning of democracy altogether.
How it Started
Facebook used to be all about connecting with your nearest and dearest. These days, though, it’s more about Facebook wanting to connect with you as a commodity for data mining.
The level of privacy that they violate in exchange for you to access the app is, in a word, disturbing.
The algorithm that they configure to target you as a consumer and the way these ads follow you no matter where you are on the internet is a serious cause for concern.
Fake News
In fact, if you have read the news recently, you’ll know that Twitter just banned political ads, in order to try and stay on top of the issue of lying politicians. Facebook didn’t – they continue to condone paid ads with political leanings that will pop up in your feed, regardless of whether the information you read is true or not.
Fake political news is nothing new, but the fact that Facebook now encourages it for profit is a sign of the times, and a disturbing premonition that democracy may be on its way out.
Zuckerburg is an Evil Genius
He just can’t help himself – even when he’s sat before a grand jury. Another newsworthy story in the past few months has been the investigation into Facebook’s alliance with Cambridge Analytica, and its willingness to violate the privacy of millions of people by selling their data to third party companies.
You’d think that Zuckerburg would see the humanity in his devoted Facebookers at some point, especially when faced with a lawsuit, but no – all he’s interested in is selling your information to more companies who can profit from your product choices.
He’s even been known to outright mock the users of the platform, calling them dumb f***s for trusting him with their data. What a guy.
Bully Tactics
We now live in a world where money = power – but it’s nothing new. Based on history, it was only a matter of time before Facebook got too big for its own good and decided to exploit its powerful position as one of the biggest social media websites in the world.
A company as profitable as Facebook has many things that other, smaller companies don’t have, and one of these things are good lawyers.
When you’re a lawyer getting paid as much as Facebook pays theirs, you’ll do whatever they tell you to – including bullying smaller companies, purely to make examples of them.
They quickly bypass the log in their own eye and go for the splinter in their rivals’.
They nitpick the smallest of legal threads and find loopholes to expose smaller businesses who don’t stand a chance, with the clear intent of avoiding heat from congress and the lawsuits headed their way.
Facebook Is Dying; Kill it with Fire
Clearly, Facebook has put money over morals and decided to throw ethics out as a result.
They care much more about making a profit than keeping your information private and only seem to be interested in spearheading the data revolution, where you’re much more of a commodity than a human being with a profile page and real connections with other people.
This is the direction that Facebook is taking, as it becomes more and more powerful. So, if you want to keep your personal information safe from being mined by greedy companies, and you want to stop supporting the dark side of the free market, we suggest that you quit Facebook for good.
What About Instagram, WhatsApp, and Libra?
While Instagram and WhatsApp still have similar problems with privacy and data sharing, it’s of a lesser degree.
We think both of these apps will also have fewer users in the long run but will likely survive – however we do recommend people stop using WhatsApp as it isn’t secure – and use a more secure messaging service that Facebook doesn’t have it’s fingers in; such as Telegram or Signal.
Libra? Everyone hates it. I hate it. You hate it. Congress hates it. Governments around the world hate it. France and Germany have already banned it.
It’s looking pretty unlikely at this point that the Libra project will make it at all.
Boycott Facebook; Because It Sucks
It may feel like you’re powerless to such a giant and that you don’t have a choice, but the reality is that you do.
Facebook is only as good as its users, and the fewer users it has, the less power and control it has as well. The fact is, people are leaving facebook in droves already.
This graph shows changes in user engagement over the years. Defined by Facebook itself as Daily Active Users/Monthly Active Users (DAU/MAU).
Boycotting Facebook is the only way to send a clear message that, as a society, we still value morals over money and expect companies, no matter how powerful, to conduct themselves accordingly.
Facebook may see you as a consumer commodity, but at the end of the day, you’re a human being that shouldn’t be forced into sacrificing privacy for someone else’s profit.
Facebook Sucks
