Page 24 - aruba-today-20170930

Saturday 30 September 2017 TECHNOLOGY
A24

Why Facebook keeps stepping in it

By BARBARA ORTUTAY prohibit misuse of its plat-
AP Technology Writer form and that it’s difficult
NEW YORK (AP) — Years to catch everyone who
of limited oversight and tries to abuse its platform.
unchecked growth have When pressed, it tends to
turned Facebook into a acknowledge some prob-
force with incredible pow- lems, offer a few narrowly
er over the lives of its two tailored fixes — and move
billion users. But the social on. But there is a larger
network has also produced question the company
unintended social conse- hasn’t addressed direction:
quences — and they’re Has Facebook has taken
starting to catch up with it: sufficient care to build poli-
— House and Senate pan- cies and systems that are
els investigating Russian in- resistant to abuse?
terference in the 2016 elec- Facebook declined to ad-
tions have invited Face- dress the subject on the
book — along with Google record, although it point-
and Twitter — to testify this ed to earlier public state-
fall. Facebook just agreed ments in which Zuckerberg
to give congressional in- described how he wants
vestigators 3,000 political Facebook to be a force
ads purchased by Russian- for good in the world. The
backed entities, and an- company also recently In this Saturday, March 19, 2016, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a
nounced new disclosure launched a blog called panel discussion in Beijing.
policies for political adver- “Hard Questions “ that at- Associated Press
tising tempts to address its gov- sponsive response to crisis approach that values free Facebook depends on
— Facebook belatedly ernance issues in more may not work much longer speech over monitoring signing up as many users
acknowledged its role depth. for a company that some- what its users post, and the as possible — and pulling in
purveying false news to its But Sheryl Sandberg, the times still seems to hew to fact that no matter how as many advertising dollars
users during the 2016 cam- company’s No. 2 execu- its now-abandoned slogan many people it hires, it will as possible — to run its busi-
paign and announced tive, has suggested that — “move fast and break always have what amounts ness. Its systems for signing
new measures to curb it. Facebook has work to do things.” to a skeleton crew to deal up and for buying ads are
Founder and CEO Mark on this front. In a recent Facebook has so far en- with its huge user base. both highly automated, a
Zuckerberg even just apol- apology , she wrote that joyed seemingly unstop- “There’s a general ar- fact that makes the com-
ogized — more than 10 Facebook “never intend- pable growth in users, rev- rogance — they know pany both efficient and
months after the fact — for ed or anticipated” that enue and its stock price. what’s right, they know highly profitable.
calling the idea that Face- people could use its auto- But along the way, it has what’s best, we know how In the first six months of 2017
book might have influ- mated advertising to tar- also pushed new features to make better for you so , Facebook pulled in sales
enced the election “pretty get ads at “Jew haters” — on to users even when they just let us do it,” said Notre of more than $17 billion
crazy.” that is, users who expressed protested, targeted ads at Dame business professor and reported a profit of al-
— The company has taken anti-Semitic views in the them based on a plethora Timothy Carone, who add- most $7 billion.
flak for a live video feature Facebook profiles. of carefully collected per- ed that this is true of Silicon It also helps explain not only
that was quickly used to That, she wrote, “is on us. sonal details, and even Valley giants in general. why Facebook can seem
broadcast violent crime And we did not find it our- engaged in behavioral ex- “They need to take a step so disengaged from its con-
and suicides; for remov- selves — and that is also on periments that seek to influ- down and acknowledge troversies, but also why it’s
ing an iconic Vietnam War us.” ence their mood . that they really don’t have vulnerable in the first place,
photo for “child pornogra- MOVING FAST, STILL BREAK- How it got here has to do all the answers.” said David Gerzof Richard,
phy” and then backtrack- ING THINGS with its exceptionalist com- MARKET INCENTIVES AND a communications profes-
ing; and for allegedly put- Facebook’s often unre- pany culture, a hands-off SOLUTIONS sor at Emerson College. q
ting its thumb on a feature
that ranked trending news
stories . FAA bans drone flights near major U.S. landmarks
Facebook is behind the
curve in understanding NEW YORK (AP) — The Fed- ferson National Expansion
that “what happens in eral Aviation Administra- Memorial in St. Louis, Mis-
their system has profound tion is banning drone flights souri.
consequences in the real within 400 feet (122 meters) Five dams also are on the
world,” said Fordham Uni- of several national land- list: Nevada’s Hoover Dam,
versity media-studies pro- marks, including the Statue Shasta and Folsom Dams in
fessor Paul Levinson. The of Liberty and Mount Rush- California, Arizona’s Glen
company’s knee-jerk re- more. Canyon Dam and Wash-
sponse has often been The FAA announced the ington’s Grand Coulee
“none of your business” no-fly drone zones at 10 Dam.
when confronted about Department of the Interior Drone violators may face
these consequences, he sites on Thursday. They take civil penalties and criminal
said. effect Oct. 5. charges.
HANDS-OFF FACEBOOK The restricted sites also in- The FAA says the new re-
When such issues arise, clude Boston National His- strictions came at the re- In Lithonia, Ga. Power companies across the United States are
Facebook generally re- torical Park, Philadelphia’s quest of U.S. national secu- testing whether drones as small as 10 pounds can spot trouble
on transmission lines or inspect equipment deep inside hard-to-
stricts itself to bland as- Independence National rity and law enforcement reach power plant boilers.
sertions that its policies Historical Park and Jef- agencies.q Associated Press