| Yes, this may have happened anyway. Yes, Facebook is not fully responsible. But I disagree with you. The lines are clear. Facebook de facto became the internet in a country of ~50 million people through subsidising their platform through free data access. Their platform was developed in order to further their own goals - through maximising engagement and monetisation. The second order effects of their own personal ambition was enabling people like Wirathu to reach hundreds of thousands of people with hate speech and calls for genocide. Facebook were informed of this multiple times and allegedly, did nothing about. During this time they had 1 Burmese speaking moderator. Stating that they have no moral responsibility for the consequences of their actions is in my opinion horseshit. But it does align with certain aspects of the current American zeitgeist of entrepreneurship, free speech and platform "safe harbour" regulations. This is not a view shared everywhere and should not be assumed when American tech companies scale out of the US. Thankfully this dogmatic approach is being regulated by the likes of the EU and other countries so these platforms are more aligned with their own moral frameworks. Personally, I find Facebook absolutely morally responsible for parts of this. Just through the simple fact that provided a platform for tens of millions of people - with severely lacking moderation - all in the chase of growth and profits. This isn't exporting "freedom and democracy" to the world like the good old days. This is abhorrent profit maximisation with no regards for the consequences of their actions, hidden behind a thin veneer of moral rationalization. |