Chamath Palihapitiya, former vice president for user growth at Facebook, has expressed deep concern over the social network’s impact on society. Speaking at a recent Stanford Graduate School of Business event, Palihapitiya warned that Facebook is “ripping apart the social fabric” in societies around the world. He pointed to the spread of misinformation and hoax news stories, suggesting that these are contributing to a culture of “no civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth.”
Palihapitiya, who left Facebook in 2011, also revealed his personal disengagement with the platform. He stated that he hasn’t used Facebook for years and doesn’t allow his children to use it either. His comments followed recent criticisms from other former Facebook executives, including founding president Sean Parker and former product manager Antonio Garcia Martinez, who have both warned about the social network’s potentially harmful effects on society and individual psychology.
Facebook has responded to these criticisms by asserting that it is a platform for all ideas and that it’s working hard to improve. The company stated that it is investing in artificial intelligence and employing more human moderators to combat the spread of fake news and harmful content. The social media giant also highlighted its recent efforts to make time spent on the platform more meaningful and positive for its users.
Go to source article: https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11/16761016/former-facebook-exec-ripping-apart-society