Facebook Isn’t Just Like Tobacco, It’s Cancer

A post called “The Fall of Facebook” is brutally honest about its executive management:

The company’s pursuit of “growth at any cost,” which in biology goes under the name “cancer,” can’t go on forever. There are only two possible outcomes: either the growth is forcibly removed and destroyed, or the growth goes on to kill its host.

I think my favorite line in that post is one I’ve been trying to say here for many years now.

Facebook is different: the leaders have enabled catastrophe. They’re in free fall.

Also this line stands out.

It’s over. The only remaining remedy is law, leading to a criminal trial, leading to handcuffs.

That was my talk-track for years, even making regular trips to DC to help build a case for charging the Facebook CSO with crimes.

While many of us have for years compared an immorality of Facebook executives (especially their CSO) to the tobacco industry spreading known harms for self-gain… this post seems like the first time I’ve seen a compelling argument made for Facebook being cancer.

“I’m sorry, as you can see here your insurance doesn’t include Facebook.”

Also it’s not just esoteric specialists, safety experts or ethicists making these arguments about Facebook. Here’s a high-profile 2018 CEO interview for perspective:

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, argues that Facebook is addictive like cigarettes, and that the social media platform can have serious effects on society.

The public shaming hasn’t done the job, clearly. Handcuffs for their CSO might.

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