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Can Facebook's algorithm be improved?

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Salem Ghebremedhin Facebook has the greatest engagement of any social media site, which makes the corporation billions of revenues, but it is also linked to some of the company's biggest problems involving its algorithm.   Following Frances Hagen's testimony before reporters and Congress, the public and media blamed the algorithm for the spread of disinformation and inflammatory content. Facebook has also been accused of sensitizing users and failing to safeguard them from some of the site's most graphic content. If the algorithm is to blame, can Facebook change the algorithm to make it better? Sharing and re-sharing are important ways for Facebook to bring engaging material into users' news feeds. It is a mechanism that enables material to circulate around Facebook and reach users who would not otherwise see it; this is how viral content is created. As a result, limiting the quantity of re-sharing acts as a speed bump, slowing down harmful content such as disinformatio...
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Officials, legislators, and commentators weigh in on the latest Facebook controversy.

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 Salem Ghebremedhin In light of the recent allegations made by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist, National Public Radio of the United States (NPR org) emphasized critical points from her testimony.   NPR portrays Haugen as a reputable source and a "powerful critic" for a variety of reasons.  According to NPR, before leaving the social network, Haugen downloaded hundreds of pages of confidential documents and shared them with politicians, regulators, and The Wall Street Journal.  These records prove that the company was aware of the harmful products it was selling to minors. For instance, Haugen leaked one Facebook study that found that 13.5% of U.K. teen girls say their suicidal thoughts became more frequent after starting on Instagram. Another leaked study found 17% of teen girls say their eating disorders got worse after using Instagram.    According to NPR, Haugen is not the first ex-Facebook employee to raise ...
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Mark Zuckerberg responds to Facebook whistleblower's allegations

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Salem Ghebremedhin On the same day that whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before the United States Congress, on October 5, 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg strongly defended his company's business practices after Congress accused Facebook of systematically prioritizing profit over the health and safety of its users. Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post, "I think most of us just don't recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted." Later on, he added "I'm proud of everything we do to keep building the best social products in the world." According to Haugen's argument, Facebook increases revenues at the expense of its users. She further stated that Facebook has targeted younger users despite internal data indicating that its platform Instagram is addictive and damaging to teenagers. During the hearing, Facebook was chastised for its unwillingness or lack of resources to fight issues such as the spread of misinformation across a...
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Facebook's Background Information; Mission and Vision Statements

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Facebook Overview Salem Ghebremedhin Facebook is an American online social networking site that is part of the company's Meta Platforms, which also includes Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.  The company's headquarters in Melon Park, California .  Facebook was founded in 2004 by Harvard University students Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskvitz, and Chris Hughes. Soon after, Facebook acquired popular acceptance and grew to become the world's largest social network, with approximately three billion users as of 2021, about half of whom used Facebook every day. The attractiveness of Facebook arises from Zuckerberg's demand from the start that members be open about who they are, which means that users are not permitted to adopt false identity. Facebook is free to use, and the majority of the company's revenue comes from advertising on the platform. Facebook's concept is to allow users to establish profiles, upload photos, join pre-existing groups, an...
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Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, testifies before the Senate.

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Haugen accuses Facebook of causing upheaval in communities all around the world. Salem Ghebremedhin Committee Senators listen as former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen (center) testifies before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on Capitol Hill, October 5, 2021, in Washington, DC. Whistleblower Frances Haugen's testimony before Congress on the practices of her former employer Facebook was fascinating and unsettling for many. Haugen's testimony came after Antigone Davis, Facebook's global head of safety, was questioned about the company's harmful influence on children and teenagers.  Davis adhered to Facebook's script, frustrating senators by failing to directly address questions. However, Haugen, a former Facebook project manager on civic misinformation, was unexpectedly more helpful with information.  Haugen is an algorithm expert who has worked as a project manager for companies such as Google, Pinterest, and Y...
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