Changes

A feature film was made about the origins of Facebook, called ''The Social Network'', and the mainstream media heavily advertised it. The film did not meet expectations at the [[Academy Awards]] and was number one in America for only a few weeks. Mark Zuckerberg was not involved in the creation of film and said that it was more Hollywood storytelling than reality.

A feature film was made about the origins of Facebook, called ''The Social Network'', and the mainstream media heavily advertised it. The film did not meet expectations at the [[Academy Awards]] and was number one in America for only a few weeks. Mark Zuckerberg was not involved in the creation of film and said that it was more Hollywood storytelling than reality.

It has been known among Silicon Valley technology companies that Facebook has been luring away [[Google]] employees to the extent that Google is now offering bonuses for staying with the company. On October 15, 2010, Facebook announced the release of a new email client. Internally referred to as Titan, the media has dubbed it a "Gmail Killer". Zuckerberg insists it is not a head-to-head competitor of Google's Gmail service; rather, it will be more of an instant messaging service.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/15/gmail-beware-facebook-unveils-e-mail-service/ E-MAIL WAR: Facebook Launches 'Gmail Killer' -- AOL Jumps In, Too, FOX News, November 15, 2010]</ref>

It has been known among Silicon Valley technology companies that Facebook has been luring away [[Google]] employees to the extent that Google is now offering bonuses for staying with the company. On October 15, 2010, Facebook announced the release of a new email client. Internally referred to as Titan, the media has dubbed it a "Gmail Killer". Zuckerberg insists it is not a head-to-head competitor of Google's Gmail service; rather, it will be more of an instant messaging service.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/15/gmail-beware-facebook-unveils-e-mail-service/ E-MAIL WAR: Facebook Launches 'Gmail Killer' -- AOL Jumps In, Too, FOX News, November 15, 2010]</ref>

==Liberal policies==

==Liberal policies==

The world's largest online social network considers itself [[LGBTQQIAAAPPK]] friendly and added civil unions and domestic partnerships to the list of relationships that its users can pick from to best describe their romantic status. The [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] had lobbied for the policy adoption. The option is only available to Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France and Australia.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/18/facebook-adds-support-sex-civil-unions Facebook Adds Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions, Fox News, February 18, 2011]</ref>

The world's largest online social network considers itself [[LGBTQQIAAAPPK]] friendly and added civil unions and domestic partnerships to the list of relationships that its users can pick from to best describe their romantic status. The [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] had lobbied for the policy adoption. The option is only available to Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France and Australia.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/18/facebook-adds-support-sex-civil-unions Facebook Adds Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions, Fox News, February 18, 2011]</ref>

Facebook takes the extremist liberal view that gender is more than just male and female. Users can choose 58 types of custom genders as of last count to identify from.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/heres-a-list-of-58-gender-options-for-facebook-users/ Here's a List of 58 Gender Options for Facebook Users, ABCNews, February 13, 2014]</ref>

Facebook takes the extremist liberal view that gender is more than just male and female. Users can choose 58 types of custom genders as of last count to identify from.<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/heres-a-list-of-58-gender-options-for-facebook-users/ Here's a List of 58 Gender Options for Facebook Users, ABCNews, February 13, 2014]</ref>

==Political influence==

==Political influence==

Ongoing censorship and harassment by Facebook are documented at [http://www.facebookcensorship.com facebookcensorship.com] with screenshots.  Also documented is the wholesale destruction of groups that took some people years to build by Facebook's deleting all of the members.  Facebook then deleted the discussion areas from "pages" to further their control and censorship. Despite its censorship, some left-wing activists claim that Facebook has not gone far enough in censoring opposing viewpoints.<ref>Wolfgang, Ben (April 22, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/22/facebook-hate-speech-censorship-policies-upset-bot/ Thumbs down: Facebook’s hate speech and censorship policies no easy fix]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 23, 2018.</ref>

Ongoing censorship and harassment by Facebook are documented at [http://www.facebookcensorship.com facebookcensorship.com] with screenshots.  Also documented is the wholesale destruction of groups that took some people years to build by Facebook's deleting all of the members.  Facebook then deleted the discussion areas from "pages" to further their control and censorship. Despite its censorship, some left-wing activists claim that Facebook has not gone far enough in censoring opposing viewpoints.<ref>Wolfgang, Ben (April 22, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/22/facebook-hate-speech-censorship-policies-upset-bot/ Thumbs down: Facebook’s hate speech and censorship policies no easy fix]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 23, 2018.</ref>

Facebook temporarily banned Fox News reporter Todd Starnes for not being a liberal, giving the reason that his "politically incorrect" post violated community guidelines.<ref>[http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/06/29/fascist-facebook-bans-fox-reporter-todd-starnes-for-politically-incorrect-nra-post/ Fascist Facebook bans Fox reporter Todd Starnes, FireAndreamitchell.com, June 29, 2013]</ref> Facebook has censored other conservatives,<ref>Ciaccia, Chris (April 9, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/04/09/facebook-reconsiders-unsafe-for-community-tag-on-pro-trump-diamond-and-silk-videos-after-fox-friends-appearance.html Facebook reconsiders 'unsafe for community' tag on pro-Trump Diamond and Silk videos after Fox & Friends appearance]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref> including the conservative news organization [[Voice of Europe]] simply for reporting on conservative opposition to immigration and Islam in Europe, political points of view Facebook deems "offensive."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (April 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/09/facebook-punishes-conservative-news-site-criticizing-mass-migration/ Facebook Punishes Conservative News Site for Criticizing Mass Migration]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref> In April 2018, Facebook blocked conservative activist [[Pamela Geller]] after she posted an Associated Press article on Muslim anti-Semitism in Germany, though the organization later lifted the block.<ref>Bokhari, Allum (April 27, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/04/27/facebook-blocks-pamela-geller-reporting-muslim-anti-semitism-germany/ Facebook Blocks Pamela Geller (Again!) for Reporting on Muslim Anti-Semitism in Germany]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 28, 2018.</ref> In June 2018, it permanently banned Generation Identity, an identitarian movement that seeks to uphold Europe's traditional culture, due to "extremist content."<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (June 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/06/24/censorship-entire-european-identitarian-movement-permanently-banned-from-facebook/ Censorship: Entire European Identitarian Movement Permanently Banned From Facebook]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2018.</ref>

Facebook temporarily banned Fox News reporter Todd Starnes for not being a liberal, giving the reason that his "politically incorrect" post violated community guidelines.<ref>[http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/06/29/fascist-facebook-bans-fox-reporter-todd-starnes-for-politically-incorrect-nra-post/ Fascist Facebook bans Fox reporter Todd Starnes, FireAndreamitchell.com, June 29, 2013]</ref> Facebook has censored other conservatives,<ref>Ciaccia, Chris (April 9, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/04/09/facebook-reconsiders-unsafe-for-community-tag-on-pro-trump-diamond-and-silk-videos-after-fox-friends-appearance.html Facebook reconsiders 'unsafe for community' tag on pro-Trump Diamond and Silk videos after Fox & Friends appearance]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref> including the conservative news organization [[Voice of Europe]] simply for reporting on conservative opposition to immigration and Islam in Europe, political points of view Facebook deems "offensive."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (April 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/09/facebook-punishes-conservative-news-site-criticizing-mass-migration/ Facebook Punishes Conservative News Site for Criticizing Mass Migration]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref> In April 2018, Facebook blocked conservative activist [[Pamela Geller]] after she posted an Associated Press article on Muslim anti-Semitism in Germany, though the organization later lifted the block.<ref>Bokhari, Allum (April 27, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/04/27/facebook-blocks-pamela-geller-reporting-muslim-anti-semitism-germany/ Facebook Blocks Pamela Geller (Again!) for Reporting on Muslim Anti-Semitism in Germany]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 28, 2018.</ref> In June 2018, it permanently banned Generation Identity, an identitarian movement that seeks to uphold Europe's traditional culture, due to "extremist content."<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (June 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/06/24/censorship-entire-european-identitarian-movement-permanently-banned-from-facebook/ Censorship: Entire European Identitarian Movement Permanently Banned From Facebook]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2018.</ref>

In early 2018, following the revelation that the now-defunct data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had inappropriately acquired about 50 million users' personal information around the time of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook changed its algorithm, aiming to resolve countless privacy issues.  However, this also resulted in [[conservative media]] sources being disfavored by the site compared to [[mainstream media]] sources.<ref>Bokhari, Allum (April 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/04/09/report-establishment-media-soaring-on-facebook-conservative-media-in-decline-following-algorithm-change/ Report: Establishment Media Soaring on Facebook, Conservative Media in Decline Following Algorithm Change]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref>

In early 2018, following the revelation that the now-defunct data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had inappropriately acquired about 50 million users' personal information around the time of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook changed its algorithm, aiming to resolve countless privacy issues.  However, this also resulted in [[conservative media]] sources being disfavored by the site compared to [[mainstream media]] sources.<ref>Bokhari, Allum (April 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/04/09/report-establishment-media-soaring-on-facebook-conservative-media-in-decline-following-algorithm-change/ Report: Establishment Media Soaring on Facebook, Conservative Media in Decline Following Algorithm Change]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 9, 2018.</ref>

==Privacy issues==

==Privacy issues==

Facebook's Privacy Policy is continuously changing. This is not for the benefit of the users but to the monetary value they represent to advertisers. Due to the size of Facebook, all kinds of data on users' habits are monitored. In fact, the U.S. government can peek at user's lives behind the scenes if it so chooses.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/17/13-year-old-boy-questioned-secret-service-facebook-posting/?test=latestnews 13-Year-Old Boy Questioned by Secret Service Over Facebook Posting, Fox News, May 17, 2011]</ref><ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_bbd23382-6ecf-11e0-aeef-001a4bcf6878.html Feds mine Facebook for info, STLToday.com, April 25, 2011]</ref> Facebook claims your personal information is not for sale. They make the case that it is anonymously collected data, thereby protecting your privacy. Third parties develop applications to run on top of Facebook. Users' privacy is effectively in the hands of unknown organizations. The below examples include what information is on display by every user.

Facebook's Privacy Policy is continuously changing. This is not for the benefit of the users but to the monetary value they represent to advertisers. Due to the size of Facebook, all kinds of data on users' habits are monitored. In fact, the U.S. government can peek at user's lives behind the scenes if it so chooses.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/17/13-year-old-boy-questioned-secret-service-facebook-posting/?test=latestnews 13-Year-Old Boy Questioned by Secret Service Over Facebook Posting, Fox News, May 17, 2011]</ref><ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_bbd23382-6ecf-11e0-aeef-001a4bcf6878.html Feds mine Facebook for info, STLToday.com, April 25, 2011]</ref> Facebook claims your personal information is not for sale. They make the case that it is anonymously collected data, thereby protecting your privacy. Third parties develop applications to run on top of Facebook. Users' privacy is effectively in the hands of unknown organizations. The below examples include what information is on display by every user.

* The first 6 months of 2013, Facebook shared personal data with the U.S. Government about 39,000 Facebook users.<ref>[http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2013/08/just-peachy-facebook-shared-personal.html?m=0 JUST PEACHY: Facebook shared personal data of users a mere 26 thousand times in the first six months of 2013], [[Doug Ross]], August 27, 2013</ref>  

* The first 6 months of 2013, Facebook shared personal data with the U.S. Government about 39,000 Facebook users.<ref>[http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2013/08/just-peachy-facebook-shared-personal.html?m=0 JUST PEACHY: Facebook shared personal data of users a mere 26 thousand times in the first six months of 2013], [[Doug Ross]], August 27, 2013</ref>