The case for treating Facebook as a 'hostile foreign power'
While many of Facebook's critics are pushing for antitrust regulation to rein in the tech giant, The Atlantic's Adrienne LaFrance thinks dealing with the company also "requires a civil-defense strategy." In other words, she believes Facebook deserves to be treated like a "hostile foreign power."
LaFrance argues that Facebook effectively fits the bill as a digital nation-state, considering that it has nearly 3 billion users (more than the populations of India and China) combined, its own form of governing philosophy, and is developing its own blockchain-based payment system. And, when viewing the company as a nation-state, it's difficult to ignore "its single-minded focus on its own expansion; it's immunity to any sense of civic obligation; its record of facilitating the undermining of elections; its antipathy toward the free press; its rulers' callousness and hubris; and its indifference to the endurance of American democracy," LaFrance writes, adding that it also utilizes unethical surveillance and data-gathering strategies. "If Russia or China were taking the exact same actions to undermine democracy, Americans would surely feel differently," she contines.
In her piece, LaFrance doesn't provide a concrete strategy for taking on Facebook, acknowledging that corporate boycotts or employees lobbying for reform likely wouldn't lead to much. Instead, LaFrance believes it will ultimately be up to the site's users to demand change. Even then, if Facebook lost 1 billion profiles, there'd still be 2 billion left, so that's probably a longshot, as well. But, for now, LaFrance is just hoping people "recognize the danger" they're in and "shake the notion that Facebook is a normal company, or that hegemony is inevitable." Read more at The Atlantic.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Marine Le Pen's fake jobs trial
The Explainer The far-right French leader could face a fine, jail time, and a five-year ban from public office if found guilty of embezzlement
By Abby Wilson Published
-
How to earn extra cash for Christmas
The Explainer The holiday season can be expensive but there are ways to bolster your festive finances
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published