On a huge election year for the world, Meta will shut down CrowdTangle, it's tool for election integrity observers without replacement : technology

[-] kae@lemmy.ca 131 points 7 months ago

This a huge step back for transparency with Meta (shocker). Access to this data is important for a variety of reasons, and using the recent EU laws as an excuse is deplorable (again, shocker from Meta).

It's clear the data companies were left alone for too long to rule the schoolyard. It's going to take some time to treat them and others what decorum looks like without throwing an absolute hissy fit.

Here's hoping the EU, which seems to be the only teacher on the playground willing to discipline anyone, will set them straight.

[-] melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee 9 points 7 months ago

Tear the government down, start from scratch.

As a bonus; we also solve the problem with having police.

[-] Serinus@lemmy.world 28 points 7 months ago

I can't wait to become the United States of Walmart. Thanks for that.

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[-] oce@jlai.lu 9 points 7 months ago

How do you prevent it from turning into a "might makes right" system ?

[-] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 76 points 7 months ago

We should teach critical thinking and logic skill from month one. There will be so much propaganda and misinformation from this point on, being able to spot it, most of the time with common sense, would nip most of this crap in the butt.

[-] oce@jlai.lu 45 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

In before 5 yo

Mommy, "because I say so" is an appeal to authority, I will not abide by such logical fallacy. Please provide me with a systematic review of relevant double blind studies to convince me that I should eat my greens."

[-] Usernameblankface@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I try to use "because I said so" as little as possible. It's a lot more work, but they know why they're doing most of what they need to do, and they know why they're avoiding what they should not do.

Edit: I've noticed that making an effort to avoid "because I said so" has built up a habit of thinking about why I'm telling them to do something before I say it out loud. Often times, this changes what I'm about to tell them to do.

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[-] IndiBrony@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

Come on, you know those who have the influence over this don't want it. Remember: Donald Trump loves the uneducated 👍

[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

And still it would not be enough. You need to trust some core institutions and delegate on some people who know more than you, you can't be an expert on everything. Even smart people can be deeply wrong if they trust the wrong people or if they think their expertise makes them an expert on everything. You also need a little intellectual humility.

[-] 5C5C5C@programming.dev 8 points 7 months ago

This is why the position I take is that when there is any room for doubt, lean into whichever belief would lead to the most compassionate outcome.

There will always be uncertainty, always facts that you can't know, but the compassionate choice is pretty much never wrong, at worst it might be inefficient, but that's okay. Anyone who's trying to convince you that something that harms or dehumanizes anyone is necessary probably has an ulterior motive and is profiting somehow off of the harm and dehumanization.

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 9 points 7 months ago

I think the issue is more that people like propaganda and misinformation as long as they agree with it.

There just seems to be something about seeing your own opinions coming out of a man in a tie or printed in a large serif font that gives people the same feeling as a cat having its neck scratched.

And of course, once you hear one of your opinions come out of them, it's easier to agree with the other ones as well.

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[-] kahdbrixk@feddit.de 5 points 7 months ago

You do know that this comment could be posted word for word on a right wing post and everybody would agree with it just as well? The term "critical thinking" alone is so worthless, not to mention "common sense". Some people justify ancient aliens with that phrasing. I don't mean to criticize you, I just have this thought so often when scrolling through this polarized world... And I really don't know what to do about it. Everything feels so lost.

[-] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

Critical thinking and common sense are not even close to being the same. Perhaps finding the definition of critical thinking would be a prudent thing before dismissing it as a buzz word.

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[-] dust_accelerator@discuss.tchncs.de 61 points 7 months ago

We should outlaw political advertisement on social media? Kind of like how cigarette advertisement was eliminated from movie theater ads.

The fines should be stacked as factors - unmitigated offenses will build up and incur exponentially growing fines. Very large incentive to shut that shit down.

Politics should be advertised by performance review, not marketing.

[-] forgotmylastusername@lemmy.ml 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

No politics was a rule on many forums. One of the things social media did away with.

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[-] uriel238 60 points 7 months ago

Sounds like Zuck is hoping for a one-party Fascist autocracy in the US.

[-] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 44 points 7 months ago

It would benefit a social cause that is near and dear to his heart: making Mark Zuckerberg extremely wealthy

[-] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

I think he thinks he is building The Matrix, and will get godmode.

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[-] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

"We will give you tax breaks, you'll help us build out theocratic fascism!"

(If anyone asks: Facebook already got caught spying on abortion providers in red states, expect even worse once Project 2025 is enacted.)

[-] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 7 months ago

yet another year goes by where tech companies seem to be influencing the state.

What a fascinating time to live in.

[-] Keineanung@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

Fascist-inating indeed.

[-] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

Fascist-enabling eh?

[-] billwashere@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

Of course they are. There’s money involved.

[-] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 7 months ago

weird how money seems to play a role in something thats supposed to be controlled by the people

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[-] CosmicCleric@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

To be fair, corporations have always influenced the government. For better, or for worse.

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[-] skittle07crusher@sh.itjust.works 40 points 7 months ago

I kind of can’t stand Biden, in spite of the many surprisingly good things he’s done in the last few years.

But god damn if this isn’t the kind of action from Meta that can only help Trump.

I am sorry to feel that this decision from Meta has much more to do with certain ongoing wars and preferred candidates than any “EU legislation.”

Meta wants Trump. Meta wants fascism.

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[-] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 34 points 7 months ago

Meta

integrity

lmao

[-] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 15 points 7 months ago

I work in integrity at Meta. It's mostly about staying legally compliant with the countries we make $ in. You have to keep in mind we have like 4 billion users, and own 5 out of the top 10 most used apps (hello antitrust?), so it's a pretty big deal here.

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[-] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

its* tool for election integrity.

[-] Yoz@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago

I like it how people use meta and then also hate and complain about it. Let's gooooo!

[-] anon987@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I wonder if Zuckerberg knows that his bunker won't save him?

[-] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

A practical demonstration may be necessary

[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

he knows where his bread is buttered

[-] dysprosium@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

[removed by mod]

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 31 points 7 months ago

Well it says in the title, so….

[-] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 42 points 7 months ago

We are at the point where people don't even read the entire headline.

[-] T156@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

We're at the point of what?

[-] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

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[-] DrDeadCrash@programming.dev 22 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

CrowdTangle is Meta's tool for election integrity, they're shutting it down without a replacement.

[-] kae@lemmy.ca 8 points 7 months ago

Don't encourage the behaviour. As the saying goes... Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day... Teach a man to fish and you've fed him for life.

[-] DrDeadCrash@programming.dev 16 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I literally rearranged the headline wording

[-] kae@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago

👍 Precisely.

[-] philthi@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

Or to quote Terry Pratchett:

Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day; set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

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[-] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 5 points 7 months ago

Mozilla is just Google's way of casting shade on competitors now

[-] squid_slime@lemm.ee 26 points 7 months ago

No Mozilla is Googles free pass to act as a monopoly in the browser market.

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[-] guacupado@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/23/23180357/meta-crowdtangle-shut-down-facebook-misinformation-viral-news-tracker

Weird this is again making the rounds after the news is 2 years old.

[-] CosmicCleric@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Weird this is again making the rounds after the news is 2 years old.

Looks like they delayed the shutdown, but then announced last month that they're going to do it finally.

From the article that you linked...

Today’s report says Meta began an official process to shut down the tool in February but paused it due to the EU’s Digital Services Act push.

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