Facebook: Fine, We Are Cooperative
July 25, 2019
Other than sharing fake news, being a hotspot for senior citizens, and causing more drama than a family reunion, Facebook is known to not cooperate with authorities. As a private business, Facebook chooses its own autonomy but the French are fed up and Facebook might comply. A story from Reuters shares that it is an “Exclusive: In A World First, Facebook To Give Data On Hate Speech In French Courts.”
Facebook is notorious for not protecting its users’ privacy, because they sell it to advertisers. However in an odd turn of non-self-serving events, Facebook complied with French courts to turn over information on users that post hate speech. French Minister for Digital Affairs Cedric O is a big supporter of French President Emmanuel Macron and has advised him on numerous issues related to technology companies.
Macron wants France to exhibit model behavior:
“The decision by the world’s biggest social media network comes after successive meetings between Zuckerberg and Macron, who wants to take a leading role globally on the regulation of hate speech and the spread of false information online. So far, Facebook has cooperated with French justice on matters related to terrorist attacks and violent acts by transferring the IP addresses and other identification data of suspected individuals to French judges who formally demanded it.”
Facebook already turns over information related to terrorism and violent actions, but the inclusion of hate speech will allow French judicial processes to run as intended. O maintains connections with Facebook executives. Since O took office, he has made it a priority to target hate speech. O is also not against US tech companies buying smaller, promising French startups.
Facebook has not revealed hate speech users’ information in the past, because the company says it upholds freedom of speech and does not want other governments misusing that power.
Facebook may be a freed of speech champion, but we known they are ruled by the almighty dollar or, in this case, euro. Or is it eur O?
Whitney Grace, July 25, 2019
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