Too soon to start talking about shutting Facebook down?

[Fichefinder]

Facebook now admits that the Russians used them to manipulate public opinion for the election. Maybe in the spirit of patriotism, they should voluntarily shut down until they get their technology under control.

[TrollBuster9090]

1. Too soon to talk about shutting them down, VERSUS CHARGING THEM WITH TREASON?

How about they cooperate fully with the FBI, and then donate...say...two billion dollars to the DNC to atone for their treason, and then we'll talk about further actions.

[BigmanPigman]

18. That sounds like a good start to me.

Fuckerberg is laughing all the way to the bank. He is a lying traitor!

[Demsrule86]

48. That is ridiculous...because the Greens elected George Bush we lost

campaign finance (courts) and that is the way it is. All of this is not important...if you didn't want to believe the lies you didn't...people mostly deceived themselves. I am on facebook, twitter etc. I certainly was not voting GOP no matter who said what...this is about people trying to blame facebook for their own foolishness in not voting for the Democratic candidate and unleashing Trump upon us.

[lindysalsagal]

2. Sure. Right after people surrender their televisions, guns, alcohol, sugar, fast food, video games

Because you'll have a harder time pulling down facebook than all the rest.

[Demtexan]

3. I canceled my account.

Do not miss it.

[Orrex]

5. As soon as another 1,500,000,000 people do it, Zuckerberg might notice

[TrollBuster9090]

8. Okay...that was funny.

I think he's more likely to notice if one of his numerous serfs forgets to stock his medicine cabinet with pimple cream.

[m-lekktor]

11. exactly. lol. nt

[Demtexan]

12. I know it did not make a big difference to Facebook.

It did to me.

Other people can do it.

It not like someone has to be on Facebook.

[pnwmom]

14. I'd rather be there posting away from real news sources

to counter all the fake stuff that ends up there.

[Demtexan]

19. I do not understand why any Democrat is still on Facebook now.

I received so many Trump feeds I was blocking everything.

I left before the election.

[pnwmom]

24. I just told you. I share articles every day from the NYTimes, the WA Post, and elsewhere.

And I hardly know anyone who is an open Trump supporter, though I try to keep an open door to Republicans who might be unhappy with him. Recently, I heard from a young woman, the wife of one of my son's friends in another state. She is the daughter of an FBI retiree and seems pretty conservative. But she wrote me privately to thank me for my posts and to tell me how much she hates DT and what a terrible model he is for her son.

[Demtexan]

27. Glad Facebook is an aid to you.

I do not miss it and would not feel right being on it anymore.

After finding out what happened on Facebook during the election I am glad I left.

I text people or call them on the phone.

My life has not changed any.

I also do not have any more Trump crap to block.

[pnwmom]

31. Are you going to stop Googling, too? Because they've announced that they were doing the same thing.

These ads were also on Gmail, Twitter, Youtube, and other platforms.

The problem is so much bigger than Facebook. We've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

[Demtexan]

38. I do not use google.

Unless I have to.

I found Facebook a pain with all Trump crap.

I would get into it with Trump supporters.

I do not miss that either.

I am not surprised with all the information about Russia and Facebook.

[pnwmom]

39. What search engine do you use? Are you sure it wasn't affected?

More information is coming out every day on Russia's penetration of the internet. I don't see how anyone leading a typical western life could avoid exposure completely.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/add-google-to-the-list-of-tech-companies-used-by-russians-to-spread-disinformation/2017/10/09/87f6bbaa-ad11-11e7-99c6-46bdf7f6f8ba_story.html?utm_term=.15ffcb627f46

Google discovered the Russian presence on its platforms by siphoning data from Twitter, the people familiar with Google’s investigation said. Twitter offers outsiders the ability to access a small amount of historical tweets free, and charges developers for access to the entire Twitter fire hose of data stemming back to 2006.

Google downloaded the data from Twitter and was able to link Russian Twitter accounts to other accounts that had used Google’s services to buy ads, the people said. This was done without the explicit cooperation of Twitter, the people said.

Google’s probe is in its early stages, the people said. Google is continuing to examine its own records and also is sharing data with Facebook.

[NanceGreggs]

22. ...

[ProudLib72]

28. What would happen if Zuckerberg got sent to the pokey

and FB was shut down all at once? 1.5 billion people would suddenly have nothing better to do than flood the streets in protest of Dotard. I say we do it!

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

4. Or, maybe in the "spirit of patriotism" . . .

. . . the American people can resolve to be more discerning, to not succumb to ridiculous propaganda, to think for themselves as individuals and not ascribe to a herd mentality, and thus not allow public opinion to be manipulated in the first place. I don't think that's all too much to ask of a people with pretensions to self-governance. But, hey, maybe it is.

[brer cat]

21. o.t. your user name reminds me of a fav picture

[Irish_Dem]

6. Not too soon for me. Unfriend the whole shebang. nt

[world wide wally]

7. How about banning political ads like tobacco ads are banned on tv?

[TrollBuster9090]

10. The way tobacco ads actually GOT banned was a model of genius. You know the story, don't you?

How anti-cigarette groups forced the tobacco companies to pay for one anti-smoking ad for every two pro-smoking ads using the Fairness Doctrine. The anti-smoking ads were so effective that eventually the tobacco industry actually lobbied Congress to make cigarette ads illegal. We could have done the same thing with gun control. No wonder Reagan was so hot to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine.

But I remember those cool, anti-smoking ads from you youth. They were pretty cute. This was one of my favourites.

[catrose]

9. sounds good to me

[democratisphere]

13. It is never too soon to shutdown fakebook as long as it is completed

at least 1 year prior to the next election.

[pnwmom]

15. What good would that do? Twitter and other social media sources were also infiltrated.

Should we shut down the whole internet?

[democratisphere]

26. No, not the whole internet. Just social media; fakebook, Sh'tter and

Boggle; all were instrumental in over-throwing our last election.

[pnwmom]

32. Google has announced that they were doing it, too. Also G-mail. Also Youtube.

We probably only know about the tip of the iceberg at this point.

Do you plan to boycott Google?

[democratisphere]

33. Already am. Cut my Boggle Ad budget to nothing.

Unsubscribed to fakebook. Sh'tter is next on the chopping block. Social media is one of the most destructive forces in our society and culture.

[pnwmom]

34. Do you use google to do searches? Yahoo? They've both been showing these ads. nt

[Demsrule86]

46. Stupid people who wanted to believe the lies...caused our losses.

[Demsrule86]

47. We are not going to shut down face book or Twitter.

[bearsfootball516]

16. It would be a fruitless endeavor

[LovingA2andMI]

17. No

n/t.....

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

20. It's entirely ridiculous to think about shutting it down.

Or pretty much any other part of the internet.

Those of you who can do without it, great. Others don't Tweet or don't own a TV or a car and likewise get along just fine.

But I have to add this personal note. Earlier this year I had a death in the family, and had it not been for FB it would have been days before any of us would have found out. Thanks to FB the news got out quickly, as well as news of memorial services in two different parts of the country. Had it not been for FB there would be people who would just now be learning of that death, and saying, "OMG! That person died in June and I'm just now finding out?"

And here's the real underlying thing to think about. Facebook merely did what lots of other businesses do. They accepted paid advertising. Which isn't a crime. Heck, this site accepts ads and I have a star membership so I don't have to see them, but every so often someone here will post something along the lines of "Why in the hell am I seeing THAT ad??"

I can't imagine what sort of "getting their technology under control" would be a solution. An essential problem is that too many people believe all sorts of things uncritically. It happens here all the time. Few people take the time to think about what they've read and ask if it makes sense at all.

Plus, is there any reason to believe that Facebook actually colluded with Russia in that manipulation?

[pnwmom]

25. The regulatory people should, at a minimum, require that all internet ads contain the same info

about who's paying for them that is required on TV and radio ads.

[Demsrule86]

43. You can't. This is a campaign finance issue...we have no rules. Be wary what you read...a certain

group fell hard for the lies about Hillary because they wanted to believe it...nothing can fix stupid. I agree ...we should know who sponsors all ads...but I doubt we can force it.

[pnwmom]

50. Why can't it be forced? It's forced on TV ads. The only reason it hasn't been is that the FCC

is evenly divided between Dems and R's at this point and they're at a stand-off -- and the original regulations didn't envision an internet. But there's no reason that political ads on Facebook and other American companies couldn't be regulated the same way other ads are.

[hunter]

23. Shit, I'll confess to Facebook. Got to keep an eye on my octogenarian relatives.

Those who haven't suicided or blocked my radical leftist environmentalist extremist ass.

[mrs_p]

29. Closed both my Facebook and twitter

Accounts today. DU is my only forum now.

[pnwmom]

35. Are you going to stop Googling, too? And stop using Youtube and Yahoo and G-mail?

Those are some of the ones we know about, but more are named every day.

[mrs_p]

44. As much as I can

[pnwmom]

49. What good will that do? The rest of the world isn't going to do it, and you'll be ceding all that

to the alt-right.

No, thanks. I'm going to stay online and work to counter them.

[mrs_p]

51. Enjoy yourself. You live your life

The way you want and I'll live mine.

Not sure why people care what I do online anyway.

For me, I also have to think of my career. I can't be free to express myself any way I want as it is too easy on FB and Twitter to be outed, professionally.

Here, I can be anonymous. At least for now.

[Demsrule86]

41. Why? So the GOP can spread lies with no one to refute them?

[mrs_p]

42. Yes, that's exactly why

[LeftInTX]

30. We organize all of our activism through Facebook

As a matter of fact, people who aren't on FB struggle to keep up with all the activities. My FB calendar is full of activities.

I also keep up with my relatives who live in different states and different parts of the world.

[pnwmom]

36. This affects the whole internet, not just Facebook. It affected Google, G-Mail, Yahoo, Twitter,

Redditt, 4Chan, Youtube, and nobody knows how many other platforms.

We only know about the tip of the iceberg.

[Sunlei]

37. IMO, our Elected government shouldNOT use twitter or facebook or any social media for official busin

official business. emergencies only. Use the White House website and DOTgov websites ONLY.

[Demsrule86]

40. Oh please enough already...Facebook should not be shut down...technology is always a

double aged sword...maybe people shouldn't believe every piece of bullshit they read online. There will always be gullible people in the electorate.

[aikoaiko]

45. go ahead and talk, but I won't support you nor give up FB or social media

Meh.

[JustAnotherGen]

52. Yes - it is

[obamanut2012]

53. yawn

[xor]

63. Are you doubting the sincerity of the OP too?

[whistler162]

54. Went to the doctor for a in grown toe nail

he recommended cutting my leg off above the knee as a solution! That you Doc?

Its not like some other Facebook like company will come along and take their place right!

[get the red out]

55. It's a public company isn't it?

If all this hurts their bottom line and stock prices, there could be changes at the top. $$$ talks.

[Madam45for2923]

56. Absolutely!! Not giving them my business or my info. They are traitors in my book.

[Madam45for2923]

57. If it was obvious to many of us what was going on with Facebook last year, it was obvious to them 2

They let it happen.
They helped it.
They actively helped.
They lied about it.

[Blue_Adept]

59. Ah, the fun side of liberals that reinforce the idea that they want to ban everything

Make sure Ford and IBM are banned as well as many other companies that worked with Nazi's back in the day as well.

I especially love the whole "destroy all social media" approach that really proves that folks just don't get it with how interwoven it is to everything these days, from education to business to government to relationships.

The tool isn't the issue, the use of it is. But this is a hyperbolic throwing out the baby with the bath water mindset that too many around these parts have.

[samnsara]

60. ppl love their FB too much...frankly i was never so...

...captivated by it that I needed to be on it constantly. I may post political stuff daily but I rarely go on to read friends posts etc. If FB shut down there would be a MASSIVE uproar. Ppl wouldnt care WHY its shut down, they just know they cant check THEIR friends status or post what THEY ate that day blah blah. I was on a cruise (a ship on the ocean surrounded by big water)..and internet use is like $$ per minute... and I would be in the crows nest/lounge toasting each whale breach and ppl are glued to their FB!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

61. Honestly, I love being on Facebook.

[Kentonio]

62. Well these threads are always humorous

Yeah, let's shut down a communication channel used by over a quarter of the earth's populuation, because some dumb people didn't factcheck things they read before believing it.

Ok then..

[xor]

64. Naaaah. People just need to stop being stupid.

They'll eventually get some creepy AI profiling system up and running, though. Then we'll see reduction in troll farm posts, but we'll still have to contend with the real life idiots. But feel free to close all your social media accounts.