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How Facebook Is Influencing Who Will Win the Next Election
An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from Forbes:
[Facebook] announced yesterday that it was shutting down a feature that the Obama campaign used in 2012 to register over a million voters. During the election supporters shared access to their list of Facebook friends list with the campaign through an app. Researchers have found that while people view often political messages with skepticism, they are more receptive and trusting when the information is coming from somebody they know. The feature was credited with boosting Obama’s get-out-the-vote efforts which were crucial to his victory, but Facebook has decided to disable this ability in order to (rightfully) protect users from third-party apps collecting too much of their information.
The company insists that it favors no particular ideology and that its efforts are “neutral.” The first part is likely true, but the second is not possible. The company’s algorithms take into account a proprietary mix of our own biases, connections, and interests combined with Facebook’s business priorities; that is the farthest thing from neutral. Facebook says it just want to encourage “civic participation,” but politically mobilizing the subsection of people that are on their network is not without its own impacts.
The company insists that it favors no particular ideology and that its efforts are “neutral.” The first part is likely true, but the second is not possible. The company’s algorithms take into account a proprietary mix of our own biases, connections, and interests combined with Facebook’s business priorities; that is the farthest thing from neutral. Facebook says it just want to encourage “civic participation,” but politically mobilizing the subsection of people that are on their network is not without its own impacts.
They're shutting down a feature that one campaign used to spread their message - and this is influencing? Surely it's stopping an influence?
Faces change, policy doesn't.
The current administration pushed for and got a massive change of 1/6 of the economy, pulled us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, has appointed dozens (hundreds?) of like minded Federal Judges that will be around for decades, and is pushing through environmental regulations that wouldn't have seen the light of day under the previous administration. But sure, other than those minor issues the policy hasn't changed one damned bit.
Really, really, really tired of hearing this claim. Love or hate our political system and the two dominant players it's laughable on the surface to claim that the policy doesn't change between the two. If you really believe that just stay home and take your ill informed opinion out of the electorate. No sense in making a well informed voter wait any long in line just so you can bellyache about there being no changes in policy.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
After the results if this midterm election, it's not surprising Facebook is ending their get out the vote program?
Why? Because Millenials are increasingly voting Republican and Libertarian after decades of lip service from the Democrats. Jobs, college debt, and personal liberty are extremely important issues to this generation.
Facebook, with its left leaning executives, would see no reason to mobilize their opposition's base.