Newsable: Facebook is 20 years old, its legacy is complex and possibly toxic
Friday, 2 February 2024
Facebook has come a long way since its early vision of connecting people all over the world.
Beyond the status updates, profile picture changes, and hilarious memes shared by billions of users over the years, there’s a more complicated side to its legacy
Peter Griffin, a technology commentator and journalist, spoke to Newsable about the significant, sometimes harmful, impact Facebook has had - pointing to how much advertising and profit drives its vision now, compared to its early days.
“It morphed from connecting the world’s people, to creating the next version of the internet, which [Mark Zuckerburg] called the Metaverse. And he knew that he would have a shot at owning that whole [social media] space if he was able to keep his investors happy, and for him, that was turning a blind eye to some of the harms that were being done,” Griffin tells Newsable.
Facebook was one of the platforms where the livestream of the March 15 attacks was available, sparking the Christchurch Call, which in turn was one of the motivating factors for the likes of the European Union to make moves to regulate the social media giant.
“The EU is going hell for leather.. it’s basically looking to break up a lot of these big tech companies. Facebook should never have been allowed to buy Instagram and WhatsApp - that was a defensive measure. Now, regulators looking back at that have basically said that should never have been allowed.”
New research out on Friday, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, has found Māori and Pasifika teens are more likely to see vape ads online, compared to other ethnicities.
The study found 28% of those surveyed saw vape advertising on Facebook.
“It’s just yet another example of the toxic incentives that are there,” Griffin says.
There are some upsides to the platform, though, according to Griffin.
“I think it’s very useful particularly for groups - I’m in sailing groups, I’m in video games groups. It is is a great place for people to gather, there’s a huge amount of utility there. It can be safe.”
Listen to the full interview here.
Newsable is Stuff’s daily news podcast, wrapping up what’s worth talking about in a short package every weekday morning. Make sure to like and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.