Update, 1/14: A trio of new reports make clear that contrary to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's position, individuals were using Facebook to plan violence before last week's insurrection at the US Capitol—and that users are still doing so today.
The New York Times today published a report looking at individuals, including at least one who attended the January 6 rally at the Capitol, who were radicalized specifically on Facebook and Instagram. Simply put, many users whose earlier content tended toward the bland and anodyne saw massive spikes in engagement—way more likes and comments—from other users when they began sharing conspiracy theories alleging the 2020 election was "stolen" or other Qanon-style content.
Many users "transformed seemingly overnight," according to the NYT review. "A decade ago, their online personas looked nothing like their presences today. A journey through their feeds offers a glimpse of how Facebook rewards exaggerations and lies."
Data scientists and executives inside the company were aware that violence was proliferating on Facebook and Instagram before and during the events of January 6, according to the Wall Street Journal. Reports of violent content on the platforms that afternoon "jumped more than 10-fold from the morning," according to internal documents WSJ reporters reviewed.
During the chaotic afternoon, the WSJ reports, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer urged employees to "hang in there," while the company worked out how "to allow for peaceful discussion and organizing but not calls for violence."
Some employees, however, were unmoved by this plea for patience. "All due respect, but haven’t we had enough time to figure out how to manage discourse without enabling violence?" one reportedly responded. "We’ve been fueling this fire for a long time and we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s now out of control."
Violent rhetoric on Facebook remains a major problem today, Reuters reports, with threats against the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden proliferating.
A Facebook spokesperson, who asked not to be named for "security reasons," told Reuters that the insurrection at the Capitol appeared to be a "galvanizing event," and efforts on Facebook to bring Trump supporters back to Washington, DC, next week are now widespread. "Signals Facebook tracked included digital flyers promoting the events, some of them featuring calls to arms or the insignia of militias or hate groups," Reuters reports.
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And while I can see the intellectual value in reading stuff by people you disagree with, maybe, I've found it just causes me angst. It's enough to know there are TERFs, flat-earthers, Nazis and anti vaxxers out there. Actually reading their shit does my nana in. Some of you might have more fortitude.
