Facebook co-founder calls for 'breakup' of the social network
What's the story
Chris Hughes, the man who worked with Mark Zuckerberg to bring Facebook to life, has called for a breakup of the social network. In a recent opinion piece for the New York Times, Hughes emphasized that the company has grown into a powerful monopoly, and that should be addressed by breaking it up into parts. Here's what he said and how Facebook reacted.
Comments
Mark's power is unprecedented and un-American, says Hughes
Hughes started Facebook with Zuckerberg in 2004 but left three years later with some half a billion dollars to his name. He hasn't worked at the company in more than a decade but says "it is time to break up Facebook" as "Mark's power is unprecedented and un-American." Facebook has over two billion users while WhatsApp and Instagram have over a billion each.
Issue
Mark has unchecked power and influence
Explaining his call for Facebook's breakup, Hughes said Zuckerberg has unchecked power and staggering influence, which goes "far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government". "Mark is a good, kind person," he added. "But I'm angry that his focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks."
Information
Facebook has been involved in a number of scandals
Over the last two years, Facebook's reputation has fallen drastically due to a number of scandals and growing cases of poor data security, misinformation and hate speech. The social network was even reported to be used for manipulating the 2016 US Presidential elections.
Issue
Mark alone can decide algorithms for Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram
Hughes also said Mark controls majority of voting shares and has the power to decide "what people see in News Feeds, what privacy settings they can use and which messages get delivered." "The most problematic aspect of Facebook's power is Mark's unilateral control over speech. There is no precedent for his ability to monitor, organize and even censor the conversations of two billion people."
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Hughes added he couldn't predict Facebook's impact earlier
"I'm disappointed in myself and early Facebook team for not thinking about how News Feed algorithm could change our culture, influence elections and empower nationalist leaders. And I'm worried that Mark has surrounded himself with a team that reinforces his beliefs instead of challenging them."
Breakup calls
US lawmakers have been calling for Facebook's breakup
Interestingly, Hughes remarks echoed those made by US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a presidential candidate, and Senator Amy Klobuchar and Richard Blumenthal. Warren had called for a breakup of all big tech giants (Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet) as the companies promoted anti-competitive behavior. Facebook is a prime example of this fact; the company acquired both Instagram and WhatsApp to maintain its dominance.
Response
However, Facebook rejected the call for breakup
After Hughes' opinion went online, Facebook issued a statement rejecting his point of view and emphasizing on the value of internet regulation rather than "the breakup of a successful American company." Facebook spokesman Nick Clegg said, "Accountability of tech companies can only be achieved through the painstaking introduction of new rules for the internet. That is exactly what Mark Zuckerberg has called for."