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Facebook Security Chief Said To Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation (theverge.com)
Facebook's chief information security officer, Alex Stamos, will leave the company after internal disagreements over how the social network should deal with its role in spreading disinformation. The New York Times reports (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source): Mr. Stamos had been a strong advocate inside the company for investigating and disclosing Russian activity on Facebook, often to the consternation of other top executives, including Sheryl Sandberg, the social network's chief operating officer, according to the current and former employees, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. After his day-to-day responsibilities were reassigned to others in December, Mr. Stamos said he would leave the company. He was persuaded to stay through August to oversee the transition of his duties because executives thought his departure would look bad, the current and former employees said. He has been overseeing the transfer of his security team to Facebook's product and infrastructure divisions. His group, which once had 120 people, now has three, the current and former employees said. Mr. Stamos would be the first high-ranking employee to leave Facebook since controversy erupted over disinformation on its site. His departure is a sign of heightened leadership tensions at the company.
Let's hope that Facebook can weather the storm of seeming growth-spurt induced moral troubles; Russian meddling, data mining, etc.
The moral compass like a magnetic compass has to be checked for angular deviation, due to the near presence of great attractors nearby.
Similarly, the lines of the Earth's magnetism are misalligned with true north; an underlying social/societal moral misallignment may have a similar effect on an organisation.
Looking at space, radio, science and computing from a 'down-under' amateur enthusiast perspective.
Facebook is a blight on modern society. It offers far little than it gives, even if it were a paid service. The tracking, privacy nightmare aspect of it is too real. It's almost as bad as Google.
I've been in IT for 20 years and I have zero social media accounts, partly due to the privacy aspects, partly due to not needing approval of others to feel good about myself. While Facebook, et al do have a modicum of merit, that merit is far outweighed by the negatives.
Facebook has sold everyone down the river. Republicans, Democrats, you name it, it all goes down to the highest bidder as to who gets the information about the opposition. Meanwhile, they promote stories that get people pissed off and riled up from all sides so that they comment, load pages, check for updates and (surprise!) that enhanced engagement sell more ads and promoted pages/groups/whatever. They don't give a damn about anyone's privacy as long as it can be exchanged for money. This is controlled opposition, and they want us to be the pawns in that game.
It appears that he was taking political manipulation by a hostile foriegn power seriously for which he got the sack and his function burried in "marketing". Zuckerbergs business is obviously being sold to all comers as a method of influencing voters by feeding them selective information. If this information includes fake news then this needs to be stopped. Facebook have obviously done their best to hide their activities over the last few months, they of course would do that. Whispering lies into people's ears is not the same as putting forward your pitch in public but it must be very profitable.
Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
... from a debilitating case of ethical principles. He should seek treatment at the closest available MBA program.