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Sarah Frier Profile picture
@sarahfrier
Aug 13, 2019 • 6 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
Facebook has been paying hundreds of human contractors to listen to audio clips from its users and transcribe them. New from me: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Facebook confirms it has done this, but says it's not happening anymore: “Much like Apple and Google, we paused human review of audio more than a week ago.”
The contractors I talked to were concerned that what they were doing was unethical, after all of Facebook's denials that it's listening to you. Facebook didn't tell them where the audio was from or what the transcription was supposed to help with.
It turns out that the audio came from people who opted to have their voice chats transcribed in Facebook Messenger. Facebook stopped human review after Apple, Google, and Amazon came under scrutiny (after other Bloomberg scoops!)
Anyway, thank you to all those who are reaching out with tips and thoughts. I am always willing to hear from contractors, current and former employees, and partners/advertisers/users/others who interact with the companies I cover.
Comment from spokeswoman working on behalf of TaskUs: "Facebook asked TaskUs to pause this work over a week ago, and it did."

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More from @sarahfrier

Sarah Frier Profile picture
Nov 17, 2022
Fewer workers are opting in to Musk’s “hardcore” Twitter than anticipated. So they’re having meetings with key folks as the deadline nears. Musk even softened his tone on work from home, sources say: bloomberg.com/news/articles/… by @KurtWagner8 @daveyalba
on work from home now, “All that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution," Musk says.
Then there's a follow up email:
“Any manager who falsely claims that someone reporting to them is doing excellent work or that a given role is essential, whether remote or not, will be exited from the company.”
Read 7 tweets
Sarah Frier Profile picture
Feb 3, 2022
The network effect -- the viral force that gave Facebook its winner-takes-all power -- also works in the opposite direction. Because of this, Mark Zuckerberg has long worried about the day FB starts shrinking, sources tell me: bloomberg.com/news/newslette…
The more people that join a network, the more valuable it becomes, and the less likely people are to join a rival.

But every person that leaves a network removes value and content from that network, and gives others less of a reason to stay.
This problem affects Facebook in a way it doesn't affect other Big Tech giants. If your friends stop using Google search, what's it to you? If they stop shopping on Amazon, you wouldn't notice. If they stop using Facebook, you can't reach them there. Facebook loses some appeal.
Read 5 tweets
Sarah Frier Profile picture
Feb 23, 2021
Time for some personal news...
After YEARS covering social media companies, chronicling their transformation into giants, writing a book about Instagram, I’m moving on from the day-to-day beat and transitioning to a senior writing role, covering tech power more broadly.
I’ll aim for high-impact stories, Businessweek long form, explanatory pieces, etc. Its going to be a big change and a challenge but I’m very excited to take it on!
I’ve written about Facebook for so long (like, I remember trying to sneak into their IPO road show in 2012!) and it’s time for fresh eyes on the beat. Absolutely thrilled that @NaomiNixWrites is joining @kurtwagner8 on the tech team covering social media! Follow her!!
Read 4 tweets
Sarah Frier Profile picture
Jan 7, 2021
Facebook says it will now remove all photos and videos posted from the protest because at this point they are promoting criminal activity about.fb.com/news/2021/01/r… Image
If law enforcement wants them, they'll have to make a user-specific request: facebook.com/safety/groups/…
to be clear, we're talking about bans of photos and videos of the event *from the rioters.* photos from media and others with context, or those that condemn the event, will be allowed.
Read 4 tweets
Sarah Frier Profile picture
Jul 21, 2020
Snap revenue is a big beat, at $454 M, lifted by ecommerce ads during the pandemic as people spend more time on phones.
but DAUs slightly miss estimates, because the company thought its stay-at-home phone-obsessed trend would be more significant than it ended up being.
The company says revenue is up 32% so far this quarter compared to last year (way higher than expected) but says don't count on it lasting because so much is changing. Normal drivers of 3Q ads (movie releases! back to school! Sports!) are just not the same during a pandemic.
The Android release last year really helped boost daily active users. Users doubled in India!
Snapchat's overall DAUs are now 238 million (your quarterly reminder that despite our obsession with Twitter, Snapchat is much bigger on a DAU basis)
Read 4 tweets
Sarah Frier Profile picture
Jun 3, 2020
Earlier this summer I wrote a story about how Snapchat was going to be crucial for the youth vote because of coronavirus. And Trump's campaign was getting traction there, especially by making content that appeared frequently on the Discover page. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The Trump campaign distributed the story widely, to show Trump was beating Biden on the digital stage.

Today, Snapchat said it's no longer promoting Trump's posts. "We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover."
Trump still has a public account with 1.5M+ followers, which anyone can follow. Snapchat just won't promote it beyond that. (the campaign really liked the Discover promotion. They called it the biggest benefit of Snapchat in my piece. You can reach more of the 229 million users.)
Read 8 tweets

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