Slashdot Mirror
Facebook Forming a PAC
DougDot writes "According to a recent SFGate article, 'Social networking giant Facebook is expanding its political footprint, confirming that it has filed the necessary paperwork to open a political action committee in advance of the 2012 elections. The move is the latest in a series of maneuvers boosting the Palo Alto company's political profile in recent years, joining a steady rise in lobbying spending, several high-profile fundraisers and the failed statewide candidacy of one of its key officers for attorney general last year.' With 800 million users in its social network, and with very deep pockets, we could have a new, powerful Congress-influencing entity steering American politics."
As long as Zuckerberg doesn't start trying to get us to kill our own bison and eat it.
"Senator, we were browsing through your Facebook messages and noticed a few interesting exchanges with 14 year old girls, your mother-in-law, and a llama rancher. I'm sure you can now see your way clear to vote against additional consumer privacy safeguards."
After all, Facebook boy would probably happily spend millions to get his federal income taxes - all $300.18 that he paid - refunded to him.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
So you expect all of them to contribute to this PAC, even if they are not US citizens?
You have a bison? Good God, man, how big is your backyard? I can't walk up the stairs in my house without stepping on a cat - a bison would be right out!
First on the agenda, make privacy illegal, and put anybody that desires it on the no-fly list and tag them as un-American terrorists
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
Another brilliant PR move by FaceBook. Stepping on their collective dicks seems to be a growing trend within the company.
http://www.busyweather.com/
And what are the odds that Facebook PAC will represent its users? About zero.
What are the chances that the sole purpose of this PAC is to loosen privacy laws so as to aid spying on it's users? Very high.
Oh nice, another company influencing government.
When can I get a PAC of my own?
When you are very rich, or when you are modestly rich and agree with an existing PAC.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
In 2008, Zuckerberg hosted Obama.
According to open secrets, Facebook employees support Democrats 97% of the time. But Zuckerberg personally hadn't donated enough to show up on the Fed's radar in 2008 or 2010.
Vote for [anti-privacy interests] this election!!
If you do not copy and paste this in your status you facebook account will be closed!!~!!~!
Sent from my PDP-11
And what are the odds that Facebook PAC will represent its users? About zero.
What are the chances that the sole purpose of this PAC is to loosen privacy laws so as to aid spying on it's users? Very high.
+1 Insightful.
This PAC is about nothing else except protecting Facebook's golden-egg-laying goose.
Tax any compaign donation above $50 at 75% Thus, a donation of $200 would have a tax of $112.50 (200 - 50 = 150; 150 * 0.75 = 112.5).
Table-ized A.I.
Thy name is Flashback.
Oh nice, another company influencing government. When can I get a PAC of my own?
Nothing stops you from forming your own PAC now. Without a lot of seed money, you'll have to work that much harder to make it influential. But a PAC with a 1,000 people donating $10 is worth more than a PAC with 1 person donating $10,000.
This is probably all about keeping the feds off of Zukerberg's backside. While he's a huge Obama supporter, he's also a target of the current administration because he is one of the Evil Rich. In addition, with Obama's re-election chances looking less certain than Facebook's privacy promises, he may well need to CYA with the next administration as soon as 2013.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Which "users", the common folk or the brand-name advertisers?
You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
And you all thought it'd be Skynet.....
That sinking feeling deep in your gut when you KNOW you screwed up bad summed up with: {head desk} {head desk}
If you don't want it, I'll kill and eat your bison for you.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Obviously he keeps it on the main floor. Everybody knows bison can't go up or down stairs.
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
~Not the other way around.
That's a laugh. Who's policing Congress? More importantly, what makes you think you actually have the power or control anymore to do jack shit about it?
..how many of the people posting take this so lightly. There should be outrage here. Companies bearing weight on congress is not a good idea, people. Maybe many of you are too young to see what is going on, but the idea is that the country is governed by the people and for the people, not by Mr. Facebook for his company. And while you have 20 seconds of laugh writing a funny post, your future is eroding right in front of your eyes, and you are completely oblivious to it...
In the future, we will look back on this as another signpost on the path of Facebook's fall.....
facebook for president!
Uh . . . you do realize that all those Democrats you are quoting switched to the Republican party in the '60s and '70s, don't you? Look up "Solid South." It's probably too complicated for you, but it's the same people that are now Republicans. They just switched parties.
So basically you are admitting that what has become today's Republican party is a bunch of fascists. Nice one.
Delete your accounts now while you still have a chance
1. Facebook forms PAC
2. PAC gets no where so Facebook heavily sponsors/brainwashes and gets a new president in power
3. Facebook goes to war with China because the Chinese firewall is blocking its site
4. China beats Facebooks arse and takes over the world
5. China is pissed at the West and rightly so - they actively seek out and execute all Facebook employees
6. Westerners are outraged but still cant shut the hell up - trolling and lack of respect has become so entrenched in our society that even the Facebook war was not enough to eradicate it
7. China realises that the only way to keep control is to systematically execute all facebook uses - and hey it has a bonus effect of been extra green
8. The planet breaths a sigh of relief 800 million less parasites making a mess - but you wont be one of them - because you didn't delete your Facebook account!!!!
DO IT NOW WHILE YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE - Save yourselves and God have mercy on our souls
Hitler was the sort of creature who would say anything to (or against) anybody in order to achieve power*.
Attempting to discuss his 'hates' is therefore a fruitless exercise.
(*And thus, just the sort whom people like our idiot "Liberals = Nazis" friend are likely to end up following, since such types know how to push all the right verbal/semantic/emotional buttons of those who are too bloody dense to realise that this is in fact exactly what they're doing.)
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
The summary mentions that Facebook is forming a PAC, and that it already IS a Palo Alto Company??
As facebook has members/users worldwide, why just restrict to influencing US politics?
It's not that we don't see it, it's that we don't know how to stop it. It's like when you've finally hit rock bottom and all you can do is have a laugh at yourself.
Who's policing Congress?
That's simple, the American people. And we consistently tell the Congress that we approve of their actions, in spite of what we tell pollsters.
800 million users? How many citizens are there in the United States of America? Does this mean I can sign up and start influencing the US? I have some ideas...
So the new Facebook business model is to sell your privacy and then lobby for more government favors? I think it would be a mistake for Facebook to turn into Facebook for Democrats. Competition and the "next new thing" will limit it's effectiveness and also the whole thing intensifies the "we are using you" image.
It's the only way to win when you know you are a looser.
My wife will go up or down stairs, but I can't seem to get her to go down lately, either.
If you want to be seen, stand up. If you want to be heard, speak up. If you want to be respected, sit down and shut up.
It would seem to be in Facebooks best interest to keep the internet neutral. Perhaps their lobbying weight can do good work to keep it that way?
023AD01("Child", "Evil");
Hmmm I'm pretty sure this is how the plot from Frozen Synapse starts out.
He ends up accurately predicting elections with all that data mining and gains political power when he can tell what potential platform/candidate will get someone elected. Of course from there, his alter-space "shape" economy kicks off and he starts sending virtual hit squads against competitors.
Why does a social networking website need a Political Action Committee!?
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
In other countries this is called corruption.