Context: Like Google, and the rest of the almost-parasitic surveillance capitalism, Facebook is a snooper. Like Google, they position themselves to be unavoidable:

  • Through Google Analytics, Google is there on most websites you visit. Through popular web frameworks like React, so is Facebook.

  • If you use Android or a Google app, Google knows everything about you through your phone. If you use Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp – so does Facebook.

Observation: There is currently a media campaign against Facebook. This campaign is:

  • Coordinated. Facebook hit pieces are appearing across a variety of media outlets.

  • Persistent. Facebook hit pieces have been appearing since Donald Trump's election.

  • Misleading. A headline will say Facebook shared your private messages with Netflix. It turns out Netflix had technical ability to access your messages as part of a cooperation to insert video into chat. The article emphasizes how a Netflix developer might have abused this. Facebook developers can do that every day – providing the service.

  • Goal-oriented. Various headlines call for Mark Zuckerberg to resign.

Explanation: The US is partly run by a media-military-industrial complex. This complex seems to control US foreign policy, which remains the same regardless of who is President. US media deceive with false diversity like US supermarkets: the eye is spoiled for choice by a myriad of brands, but it's all made by a handful of giants. Similarly, the media seem to offer a choice, but when it comes to foreign policy, it's all the same sausage.

Large US companies including Google, Amazon and Microsoft cooperate in this alliance. Facebook cooperates but has historically not policed its users.

In 2016, in a black swan event, an unintended President was elected. This person is volatile, unpredictable, harmful to the US, and hard to manage. His being in power threatens control by the media-military-industrial complex, and perhaps also the future of the planet.

In the run-up to the 2016 election, the message in most other media was controlled. Hillary was clearly the candidate to vote for, Donald was clearly the dangerous clown. Facebook was not part of this message. The election outcome was helped by individual users sharing and liking a large number of outright lies, truths, and half-truths.

In the aftermath, sites such as Reddit began more tightly controlling their users. Reddit is owned by Advance Publications, which means the Newhouse family. This family single-handedly controls numerous media outlets and, through Condé Nast, The New Yorker, Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired, Ars Technica, and others.

Hypothesis: The media-military-industrial complex is trying to control the message. Zuckerberg might be an obstacle.

Prediction: If Zuckerberg is removed, his replacement will be compliant. Facebook will align with Google's "values". Facebook will implement "responsible checks" on content seen and shared by users. The media will report that Facebook has "turned a new page". Facebook will continue to snoop and the media will no longer report it as a problem.