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Years of Mark Zuckerberg's Old Facebook Posts Have Vanished. The Company Says it 'Mistakenly Deleted' Them. (businessinsider.com)

Posted by msmash on from the oops dept.

Old Facebook posts by Mark Zuckerberg have disappeared -- obscuring details about core moments in Facebook's history. An anonymous reader shares a report: On multiple occassions, years-old public posts made by the 34-year-old billionaire chief executive that were previously public and reported on by news outlets at the time have since vanished, Business Insider has found. That includes all of the posts he made during 2007 and 2008. Reached for comment, a Facebook spokesperson said the posts were "mistakenly deleted" due to "technical errors." "A few years ago some of Mark's posts were mistakenly deleted due to technical errors. The work required to restore them would have been extensive and not guaranteed to be successful so we didn't do it," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"We agree people should be able to find information about past announcements and major company news, which is why for years we've shared and archived this information publicly - first on our blog and in recent years on our Newsroom." The total number of vanished posts could be significantly higher, as the very nature of the issue makes it extremely difficult to make a full accounting of what exactly what has gone missing over the years. The spokesperson said they didn't know how many posts in total were deleted.

46 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. O RLY? by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 5, Insightful

    were "mistakenly deleted" due to "technical errors."

    Several years of posts? This looks like a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence/hide something.

    1. Re:O RLY? by kriston · · Score: 1

      Late night drinking is a likely reason.

      --

      Kriston

    2. Re:O RLY? by ruddk · · Score: 1

      It also takes time to delete all your old posts.
      I did manage to find a script somewhere that I ran before I closed my Facebook account, but I am guessing that Facebook never actually deletes anything you have posted. The article also suggests that.

      --
      L'Idiot
    3. Re:O RLY? by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      No one doubts the posts were deleted to prevent being part of discovery or a subpoena. It's entirely a laughable lie, IMHO.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    4. Re:O RLY? by nospam007 · · Score: 2

      "Several years of posts? This looks like a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence/hide something."

      Just the usual racist, misogynist, homo- and xenophobe stuff I guess.

    5. Re:O RLY? by Sean+Clifford · · Score: 1

      Six months from now: "While Facebook wants to comply with this subpoena, that information no longer exists. It was purged long before any subpoena was conceived much less issued."

    6. Re:O RLY? by lamber45 · · Score: 1

      Two years. Not "several", although there's been link-rot in the news-blog since then, not unique to Facebook. In my own timeline, the first FB post I ever made was in October 2007, and I believe that's actually correct; I was tagged in a couple photos posted before that, and I have some backdated "Life Event"s before that, but if it was exactly two years maybe it was just a backup script that had a bug, or something, and it might have affected some other users as well but no one else noticed and bothered to complain.

    7. Re:O RLY? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Just because your pointless life doesn't require documentation of milestones to be preserved doesn't mean the CEO of the largest data mine in the world *(who is also accused of fraud and perjury) shouldn't be scrutinized, moron.

    8. Re:O RLY? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1, Insightful

      BleachBit to the rescue again!

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    9. Re:O RLY? by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      I mean, it would hardly be the first time.

    10. Re: O RLY? by Miser · · Score: 1

      END OF LINE

    11. Re:O RLY? by Dan667 · · Score: 1

      the more I hear about what zuckerburg does the more I think he is a dirtbag and I am glad I avoid all of facebooks services. No facebook. No instagram. No whatsapp. No service they run.

    12. Re: O RLY? by Mister+Transistor · · Score: 1

      O RLY?

      Isn't that a technical publishing company?

      --
      -- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --
    13. Re:O RLY? by shentino · · Score: 1

      I hope it's an april fools prank

  2. and nothing of value was lost by OffTheLip · · Score: 1

    Maybe Zuck will disappear next.

    1. Re:and nothing of value was lost by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Nothing of value? On the contrary. If these got deleted, that means that there's something in there they do not want people to see or remember. That makes it valuable.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  3. Down the memory hole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Winston rubbed his eyes as he pondered why the slip of paper instructed him to purge the social media history of one of the most popular and powerful figures in the tech industry.

    1. Re:Down the memory hole by Monkey-Wrench-Inc · · Score: 1

      Appropriate reference is appropriate.

    2. Re:Down the memory hole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      We have always been at war with Wikimedia

    3. Re:Down the memory hole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, that may result in you ending up in Room 101 with a rat in a cage strapped to your face...

  4. HORSESHIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is COVERUP / DAMAGE CONTROL, it's as obvious as Zuck's lying under oath to Congress.

  5. Smart move by ruddk · · Score: 1

    In today’s world, deleting old posts seems like a good idea. The concept of people having aged or learned something in the time span of 10 years since they posted something, seems to be lost on the loudest voices.

    --
    L'Idiot
    1. Re:Smart move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      No, you're 100% missing the point. He's deliberately covering up his corporate machinations after the fact - and what's more, you yourself CANNOT delete your old FB posts - they will remain even if you think you have.

      So not only is Zuck no doubt lying about the reason this happened (as they change their corporate announcement historical archive format to make it harder also, notice) but this is something his FB victims cannot do themselves.

      Privacy and whitewashing for me, but not for thee.

  6. Privacy for Zuckerberg by WCMI92 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But not for you.

    If you don't pay for it YOU are the product.

    --
    Corporatism != Free Market
  7. I call BS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nothing is ever truly deleted from Facebook. Nothing.

    I deleted my account, supposedly all the way. Not a "deactivation," but a DELETE.

    That was 3 years ago. Last week I created an account using a DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS that had not existed when I deleted my account THREE YEARS AGO, and guess what?

    ALL of my old account was right there - came right up as if I had never left.

    So not only does Facebook not delete ANYTHING, they keep tracking you AFTER you supposedly "delete" your account.

    These people belong in jail, not at the top of the Internet food chain.

    1. Re:I call BS by misnohmer · · Score: 1

      Then why are you coming back to them to give them more of your information?

  8. Remember, he cares about HIS privacy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He tried to buy all the surrounding properties of his mansion so he could have, you know... a little privacy.

  9. In related news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Mark Zuckerberg Wants The Government To Help Police Internet Content
    https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...
    How quaint

  10. Technical errors? by kbg · · Score: 1

    So Facebook is saying that there is a regular occurance that facebook posts just vanish because of technical errors and it's possible that they are just gone forever?

    Well that doesn't exactly gives much confidence in using Facebook as an information platform does it?

  11. Zuck, I think you dropped these... by Graymalkin · · Score: 2

    The Zuckerberg Files.

    I believe these are all the archives somebody on /r/DataHoarder snagged before Facebook accidentally hit delete 10,000 times and then accidentally dropped the backup drives in a volcano.

    --
    I'm a loner Dottie, a Rebel.
  12. Re:Simple solution: by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    Yep, and anybody who believes that Facebook ever deletes a single byte of information is delusional.

    It's all there, no matter how long ago you clicked 'delete'.

    --
    No sig today...
  13. New Feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In other words this is proof that the company can permanently delete profile data. When will we have a delete button next to each item?

  14. Sorry by Comboman · · Score: 3, Informative

    Facebook, of all companies, should know that nothing on the Internet is ever truly gone.

    Which is why Facebook has been blocking archiving by the Wayback Machine since January 2011.

    --
    Support Right To Repair Legislation.
  15. Blame Myspace by omnichad · · Score: 3, Funny

    They hired the Myspace team to relocate a few servers.

  16. Don't use facebook by WCMI92 · · Score: 1, Informative

    It should be called identitytheft.com if there were laws requiring truth in advertising for websites. Zuckerberg and Sandberg would be in prison if they didn't own the government.

    --
    Corporatism != Free Market
  17. Who cares or believes what the company says? by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

    Didn't anybody else archive this stuff?

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  18. 100% legal by DogDude · · Score: 1

    These people belong in jail

    For what? What they're doing is 100% legal. We need to vote for people who are going to change the laws. Europe can do it. But in the US... well... jobs?

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  19. Apparently... by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 2

    ...you always have a Right to be Forgotten when you own the company that has a lifetime of your public Internet communications.

    --
    There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
  20. Re:Simple solution: by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    Yes, giving government the power to burn to the ground speech-based businesses is a great idea. I assume we will need a constituinal amendment as this is forbidden for silly anachronistic reasons like King George III, Vlad, China, and Venezuela all doing it.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  21. Checking the calendar by McFortner · · Score: 1

    Considering today's date, I can't decide if their reason is an April Fool's joke, they just think we are too stupid and preoccupied to care, or the honest truth. In that order.

    --
    Beware of Sales Reps bearing gifts.
  22. I trust Zukerberg..... by MerlTurkin · · Score: 1

    ...as much as I trust Kim Dong Un. In other words, I don't.

  23. He's getting ready to run for public office by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    has been for years. This is just part of it.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  24. Re:Yeah. And NASA accidentally reused Moon tapes. by Lodragandraoidh · · Score: 1

    You give people more credit for being 'smart' than they deserve. Mistakes do happen all the time. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - Hanlon's Razor

    --

    Lodragan Draoidh
    The more you explain it, the more I don't understand it. - Mark Twain
  25. how is it a mistake by renegade600 · · Score: 1

    how is it a mistake when it happens to one person who happens to be the top dog at the service? could it be the rumors are true that he is getting ready to run for some political office and need to get rid of postings that could hurt him?

  26. Re:Simple solution: by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    They'll just "anonymize" it.

    --
    No sig today...
  27. Re: Yeah. And NASA accidentally reused Moon tapes. by astrofurter · · Score: 1

    "Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by malice."

    - Surveillance Valley Razor