In a recent turn of events, Facebook has encountered a significant surge in users seeking to delete their accounts, with a reported 5,000% increase in related searches. This development follows CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of new, less stringent fact-checking rules for the platform. These changes have sparked criticism from various quarters, notably John Oliver, host of HBO's Last Week Tonight. Oliver has voiced strong objections to both the new regulations and Zuckerberg's actions, predicting a potential increase in disinformation on the platform.
Mark Zuckerberg shared insights into these new rules during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, where he addressed the spread of Covid disinformation and the pressure from government agencies to remove anti-vaccination narratives. Despite President Biden's assertions that such misinformation was "killing people," Zuckerberg's decision appears to be influenced by other factors. According to John Oliver, the tech industry's alignment with former President Trump since last year's election may have played a role.
“Trump threatened Mark Zuckerberg with life in prison then Mark Zuckerberg turned around, gave him money, hired one of his buddies and changed the direction his company was going,” said John Oliver.
Oliver argues that conservative voices have long decried censorship on Facebook, yet empirical studies suggest they are more prone to spreading disinformation. He noted that despite allegations being settled in court, Zuckerberg's narrative remains inconsistent with reality. Oliver suggests that Facebook's relaxed restrictions could transform it into an "absolute sewer of hatred and misinformation."
Meta, Facebook's parent company, derives 98% of its revenue from advertising, and advertisers rely heavily on microtargeting users. This financial model adds another layer of complexity to content moderation decisions. According to Oliver, platforms must balance user engagement with advertiser satisfaction, a task that is inherently contentious.
“If you want people to use your site and crucially have companies want to pay to advertise on it you’re going to have to make choices about what to remove and how you make those choices is always going to be contentious,” remarked Oliver.
The tech giant is shielded by Section 230, a piece of legislation that protects websites from liability for content posted by users. Oliver highlights that while this allows for moderation without fear, it poses challenges in comprehensive content vetting unless deemed illegal.
“mostly it allows them to moderate without fear,” noted Oliver.
The controversy over Facebook's new direction has been compounded by past allegations against Oliver himself, who faced a $25 million lawsuit from Trump. Despite this legal backdrop, Oliver persists in his critique of the platform's trajectory.
“Conservatives have been crying censorship for years but the evidence for that is very weak,” he stated.
“more likely to spread disinformation according to numerous empirical studies,” Oliver continued.
Oliver also pointed out that users could adjust their settings to manage how their data affects advertising revenue, directing them to his website for more information.
“You can change your settings” to affect profits, details of which he said were on www.johnoliverwantsyourraterotica.com.