Wow. This @RMac18 @CraigSilverman report deserves a close read. It’s that damn important. A lot of twists and turns but it clearly points to the antitrust issue. If Instagram was a separate company, the incentives to solve issues would be much higher. /1 buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanma…
This here is a good scoop to prove how Facebook lives by public relations externally/internally. Authenticity is a critical part of trust, no doubt Facebook’s cover-ups, denials, and deceptions are a big part of its trust erosion. Affects employees, advertisers, publishers. /2 
Same thing again here. We can go back many years and have evidence now in discovery and court records to see Facebook makes decisions for public relations and political needs. Until then, they don’t self-regulate or do anything that can slow growth of data/revenue/margins. /3
This is just bad. No doubt diversity&inclusion is a critical issue everywhere. But Facebook dominates news/info landscape yet seeks diversity thru its most powerful lobbyist in DC (who shouldn’t be involved in moderation decisions) rather than simply throughout FB operations. /4
I truly believe this recollection by @YaelEisenstat of Facebook’s DC office is the exact soft or direct threat keeping Facebook from much more difficult scrutiny in Washington on both sides of the aisle. Too much power has been built off issues being investigated. Same as UK /5
That’s all. Only one nit @CraigSilverman @RMac18, I wish this used the narrower word “labeled” instead of “moderated” as FB wants this focused on expression/censorship rather than labels/amplifications. Huge difference. I covered here in FB “sand trap.” digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2020/07/2…
Actually one last point. If you want to let Facebook be entirely blameless for its recommendations, amplifications, essentially a utility, then it needs to be treated like one. Any public utility would be expected to move heaven&earth if it had toxins flowing through it like FB.
Anyone who needs a refresher on all of this 👆🏽, the 2018 NYT report is still the standard bearer including how Facebook dodged accountability. ht @sheeraf @ceciliakang @nickconfessore @jacknicas @AllMattNYT nytimes.com/2018/11/14/tec…
Reminder from NYT report: Sandberg avoided most sensitive topics. There was logic behind it to avoid partisanship. Again, it’s why this is an antitrust issue and why a bipartisan State AG investigation may be our best hope at this point along with ongoing Congress/FTC/EU work.
