Today's MOZEN: Only the Tool

F LoBuono

In a highly critical, 6,000 word essay in the May 9th edition of the NY Times, Chris Hughes, who co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg 15 years ago, laid out his case against the internet giant, siting the damage he says the website has done to the American political landscape. Among his charges are that Facebook has failed to protect the privacy of its users for the sake of profit and that nefarious entities use its resources for their own illicit and often illegal purposes. Hughes claims the harm caused by Facebook so great as to be sufficient reason for its very dismantling.

Many, including Mr. Hughes, argue that Facebook has gotten so large as to be unmanageable. It has become impossible to filter the overwhelming amount of information that surges through its circuits. Much of that material is not only false or misleading, it's downright hateful. White Supremacists, Black Nationalists, Christian Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists, Zionists, Neo-Nazis, Skinheads, Anti-vaccinators, Holocaust deniers, Neo-Confederates, Anti-LGBTers, Radical Right-To-Lifers, Anti-immigrant, and a host of other misanthropic organizations have used Facebook to spread not only misinformation but a polarizing doctrine of fear and loathing. This has caused great discord among the population. In fact, it may be argued that some of these sites (see Russian trolls) actually spread enough disinformation and discord as to have effected the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election.

Mr. Hughes and others claim it is Facebook's duty to recognize and eliminate these bad seeds before they have time to germinate on their site. If Facebook cannot accomplish this, it should be disbanded.

I see the urgency of recognizing and confronting this threat but I do not agree with the notion that it is solely Facebook's fault this is happening and is wholly responsible for countering it. Therefore, it should not be disbanded or even censured.

First, Facebook, when used properly, can be an incredible source of good, valid information. In fact, I'm using its platform at this very moment to share my thoughts with you. And, I look forward to your responses to this post - whether you agree with me or not. In other words, it can be an effective forum for the exchange of ideas. It's also a great connector. I have used it to rekindle relationships with many long-lost friends. Of course, there are those that I'd rather forget but that can be handled easily through your Facebook privacy settings anyway. I control my privacy!

Second, I am a HUGE supporter of the 1st Amendment, i.e. the right to Free Speech. No government has the authority to silence our voices. And, even though Facebook is a private entity, it still has a responsibility to protect our right to speak our minds. And, remember, so-called Hate Speech is still protected under the Constitution. However, at the same time, speech that encourages violence against groups or individuals is NOT allowed and must be regulated. Identifying these groups and combating their message is Facebook's greatest challenge.

Still, the bottom line is this: as my father once told me, Frankie, a tool is just a thing - it doesn't create anything. It is in the hand of the craftsman that it becomes something special. It is only as good as what you create with it. So it is with Facebook. It's just the tool. What we do with that tool is OUR responsibility! We can't rely on them to verify every piece of information that appears on the site. It's up to us to use our good sense and the means available to make sure the information we seek (and are shown unsolicited) is proper and accurate. We have to stop practicing Cognitive Dissonance and seek out only the material that supports our POV's. THAT'S how we fall prey to those who would feed us the misinformation that serves only their nefarious needs.

Don't be fooled. Remember, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.