— by Margie Doyle, Publisher, and Lin McNulty, Managing Editor, updated June 10 at 11:30 a.m. —
Here at Orcas Issues, we try to do the right thing by our readers. In that vein we’ve decided that removing our presence from Facebook is not only our individual response to Facebook’s abuse of its users’ trust, but is also, most importantly, the right thing to do by our readers.
We’ve been working for the last few weeks on our statement as to why we are removing Orcas Issues from Facebook. It’s not easy to define. It’s not like remaining or leaving will hurt Facebook in the least. Nor is it probably going to increase our readers’ online security. It’s just the damn principle, you know.
from the NY Times, June 8, 2018: [Facebook] formed data-sharing partnerships with Apple, Samsung and dozens of other device makers, raising new concerns about its privacy protections.
from the NY Times June 6, 2018: Facebook Gave Data Access to Chinese Firm Flagged by U.S. Intelligenc. The company, Huawei, is one of at least four Chinese electronics businesses that have struck information-sharing agreements with the social network.
It is widely thought that the vast majority will return to Facebook, just like they did the last time and the many times before that. As in all abusive relationships, users have a psychological dependence that keeps them hooked despite knowing that, at some level, it’s not good for them.
Cambridge Analytica obtained detailed personal records of more than 87 million Facebook users that it never should have had in the first place – and Facebook waited years before saying they will do anything about it. And what they are going to do about it does not seem at all clear to us, nor to Facebook, nor our regulatory agencies.
Facebook sold the user data, Cambridge Analytica mined the stuff, and then went back on Facebook to test and twist that data to sucker users in. That info became a basis for ad campaigns to test and manipulate what they thought they knew about the people on Facebook. While ingenious, we cannot overlook the totally frightening result.
Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerburg apologized — again — after they got caught — once again — with their hand in the cookie jar. “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
Facebook has abused its users’ trust over monetary gain. At Orcas Issues‘ we work hard to earn our subscribers trust. We’re not leaving Facebook lightly. We know that thousands of our readers access Orcas Issues on Facebook. If you want to continue to read Orcas Issues‘ 24/7 posts, just go to www.orcasissues.com and bookmark it or make it your homepage, or better yet, subscribe to Orcas Issues and get on our “Daily Digest” delivered daily to your email inbox.
AND, let’s not overlook the bigger picture. Their contribution to interference in our national elections is unforgivable.
Good for you, Margie and Lin. Your integrity is admirable.
I agree with David and say thank you!
You’ve again demonstrated that Common Sense and Professionalism have deep roots here, and my subscription to OI is again validated!
To paraphrase John Prine – from decades ago:
Blow up your iPhone, log out of TwitFace
Move to the Country, build you a home.
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try and find Jesus on your own.
Carry on!
Excellent choice!
Too Bad! Orcas Issues may miss out. And there are way bigger issues that this.
Thank you Margie for taking this stand. I know it was not an easy decision for you. I too left Facebook just after the Cambridge Analytica scandal first broke. What people don’t realize is that there is a cost to a free service, and in this case, that is your personal information. Facebook will not change their business model despite their current PR campaign. There is way too much money on the table and plenty of victims to take advantage of. I got off and I do not miss it!
Taking a stand is a good thing.
Let’s all remember that the Facebook business model has a whole lot to do with directing advertising to the people most likely to buy the product. They are making lots of money selling your information to advertisers.
That is what seems to have happened this time (and all the prior times). The “advertisers” were political. The buyers were us.
If you want your personal data to not be shared, try not being on Facebook.
Thank you Margie and Lin for your consistent principles, integrity and actions.
Good decision. I never joined FB and avoid social media. I prefer real friends instead of virtual ones…
The luddites speak.
At the end of 2015, when Facebook changed its privacy policies to allow third-party tracking (audio, video, and keystroke at all times from any device you’ve ever used to access FB), I deleted my account. Friends called me paranoid. Or said it was just for advertising. Or used words like Luddite. Having worked in IT and fraud detection, I knew exactly what they were capable of doing. In retrospect, it’s not surprising they timed the privacy policy change to take effect at the start of an election year. It gave them legal permission to sell access to our personal lives and the ability to manipulate millions. Now I only access Facebook from the library or a device not used for anything else. Unfortunately, Yahoo, Google, Amazon, and Apple appear to be going down the same path. We need laws to protect our privacy like they have in most European countries. Otherwise, this situation will only get worse.