Facebook, Inc. is a famous American conglomerate that currently owns WhatsApp, a popular messaging app, and Twitter, a simple tool to express one’s thoughts. At the moment, more than 190 million Americans are its registered users (Statista, 2021). Despite some advantages, these social networking services often violate their customers’ privacy, freedom of speech, and manipulation of gathered information; thus, they should be permanently banned.
The relatively fresh case of barring former president Trump on Facebook revived the ongoing debate regarding the company’s double standards. The politician was allegedly banned for safety reasons as he was accused of spurring violent movements across the country. However, Facebook and its other platforms have been failing to introduce even policy for a long time. For instance, the platform contributed to the encouragement of offline violence and modern cleansing in Myanmar (Stevenson, 2018). The same role Facebook played in Sri Lanka, where materials posted on the service for approximately ten years worked as propaganda and violence incentives (Brustein, 2020). Facebook lacks transparency and content monitoring; it also lacks a timely reaction to human rights violations in every country it is present, not only in the US.
Another problem is that Facebook servers contain too much personal information. People’s data potentially may be at most sold to national agencies which conduct unethical surveillance. Facebook was on the list of powerful institutions delivered by Snowden to journalists back in 2013 (Collins, 2019). It means that the American conglomerate had been a partner of the National Security Agency in the surveillance program. Tools that originally were used to protect personal data are currently used to control and manipulate people.
Some opponents would argue that it is not possible to live without social networking services. It helps to optimize human activity, connects people around the world, and fosters cooperation between nations. Facebook also opens opportunities and work options for journalists, marketers, and IT professionals. Nevertheless, in the same manner, it may be used to promote violence, racism, ignite hostility, and misuse personal information.
Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter should be permanently banned since Facebook, Inc. fails to maintain even policy worldwide to stop racism, violence and prevent human rights violations. It stores the unbelievable amount of personal information that apparently could be sold to anyone who pays money. It is not possible to reform and update such a giant; it is time to impose sanctions.
References
Brustein, J. (2020). Facebook apologizes for role in Sri Lankan violence. Bloomberg. Web.
Collins, K. (2019). Edward Snowden says Facebook, Amazon, and Google engage in ‘abuse.’CNET.
Statista. (2021). Facebook users by country.
Stevenson, A. (2018). Facebook admits it was used to incite violence in Myanmar. The New York Times.