An interesting sociological situation with all that is going on with Elon Musk and his X platform and our desire to curtail our use of US products and services, that we are all still using Meta apps as well as others.
Meta was founded in the US and continues to be headquartered and run from there. Zuckerberg was one of several tech giants who attended Trump’s inauguration – ostensibly donating money to be there – and has since – like others – ended DEI programs with Meta while also enacting policies that align with the views of the current administration with full knowledge that these actions would harm real people.
For a time this caused considerable protest and backlash but it seems to have subsided. I had several contacts online who chose at that time to leave Meta platforms for other options (Bluesky, Mastodon, etc.) but the majority remained – and there they still are – often railing against the very platform they are on.
Many of the posts I see from my friends are – at least in a tertiary way – related to US politics and also quite often Canadian politics as well. While I understand the idea of using the platforms to inform and educate others – indeed to unify and empower – the irony is pretty evident.
Having recently returned to freelance work I relied on these platforms (am still relying?) as a means to promote my work and reach out to potential clients.
Working for years with small and medium sized businesses in the region – sometimes in a specific effort to encourage people to support local businesses and services vs. the alternatives – I have a very clear understanding of how much businesses rely on these platforms as a means of promotion, to engage with customers and drive sales.
It is a fact that Meta (Facebook) has been repeatedly used to manipulate public opinion and election results in the US and elsewhere by bad actors. The US had all but banned the TikTok platform when it deemed it a national security risk until Trump changed his mind.
These platforms have already proven divisive in Canada and remain based and operated in the US by individuals of dubious morals and ethics. They could no doubt be weaponized against Canada to interfere in the political process here – indeed probably already have/are.
So the question remains, in light of recent events and with what’s at stake, why have so many of us continued to carry these Trojan Horses around in our pocket? How are Meta apps in Canada not a national security threat in these tumultuous times?
Maybe you don’t see that much objectionable content in your feeds. I know I don’t – what I do see tends to align with my own values – that’s the nature of being selective about your Friend and Page community – but you are still carrying around a device that allows Meta to track (and influence?) certain aspects of your behaviour and activity.
What, exactly, does that mean in a larger geopolitical sense given the relationship with the US – and/or the rest of the world – at the moment?
Without a doubt the same questions and discussion could be had around any of the tech giants – Google, Amazon, Apple, LinkedIn, etc. – all US-based.
Should I stop using Apple products? I know I quite literally could not – they are woven far too deeply into the fibre of my existence and I enjoy them too much. However, at least from what I’ve seen and heard, Tim Cook has made efforts to chart a different course for the company than Zuckerberg has for Meta and Apple’s tools and apps do far less to enrage, annoy or polarize me on a daily basis.
Unfortunately there aren’t many options out there – social media platform-wise – that aren’t US-based – even Bluesky is based in the US, but at least they are structured as a ‘benefit corporation’…
“a benefit corporation (or in some states, a public benefit corporation) is a type of for-profit corporate entity whose goals include making a positive impact on society.” -Wikipedia
Bluesky is also not algorithm-based, and has no advertising. Mastodon is free, open – sourced and works on the federated principle meaning there is no ‘owner’ – individuals are free to set up their own servers – ‘instances’ that users can join and there is no advertising as well.
The drawback to these – or what seems to hinder their adoption – and the creation of new more ethical platforms – is that people have friends and networks so well established after years of engagement on the existing platforms that leaving them is tantamount to ‘saying goodbye’ to everyone who remains on the platform.
It’s an unfortunate spot to be in for us – to be so reliant on – obviously addicted to – these systems that are becoming increasingly integrated into all aspects of our lives, yet we are almost powerless to abandon them, even in cases where we may desire to do so.