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by DarylZero 1637 days ago
> There are millions of people that can talk to their relatives and have better access to government services and communicate with people they've never met, that would still be cut off if not for Facebook.

No, none of the connectivity is because of Facebook. They didn't build the connectivity; they're a parasite on it. What they add is a layer of disconnection, under their control, that they use to exploit.
2 comments
PoignardAzur 1631 days ago
> No, none of the connectivity is because of Facebook. They didn't build the connectivity; they're a parasite on it.

That doesn't make sense.

If Facebook was purely parasitic in these deals, people would just buy regular internet subscriptions (yes, there are counter-arguments to that, but the general principle holds). The fact that they don't implies that there are large swathes of people who can't afford internet subscriptions, and therefore would not get any of the benefits of one without Facebook.

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Karrot_Kream 1637 days ago
What is a layer of "disconnection"? Is this a new rhetorical device?

Facebook does actually help build the connectivity up in these countries so they do in fact pay for the infrastructure. It is still exploitative in that they mislead folks in developing countries to think they have access to the internet when instead they're on Facebook's private network. But they do pay the cost of connectivity, at least somewhat.

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DarylZero 1637 days ago
> What is a layer of "disconnection"? Is this a new rhetorical device?

Not a rhetorical device. I mean that FB inserts itself as a kind of centralized middleman that can disconnect people that the internet connects. To speak of it in computer architecture terms it could be called a single point of failure.

It makes everybody go through their App and watch their ads or else they get disconnected from everybody else. This isn't something that should be called connecting people.

> Facebook does actually help build the connectivity up in these countries so they do in fact pay for the infrastructure.

Facebook "pays for" the expansion of infrastructure with proceeds from parasitism on the existing infrastructure.

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Karrot_Kream 1637 days ago
Ah gotcha. Agreed.
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