Facebook is currently under fire due, among other things, to the furore surrounding fake news and the co-option of Facebook by terrorists. At a time when numerous critics have concluded that Facebook divides us, Mark Zuckerberg now sees the platform’s future in its “groups”. Therefore, the company is investing in a friendlier image.
One thing the company is doing, is trying to make its services safer for users, through the expansion of its “Community Safety Team” and the launch of new functionalities, including a designated area for groups’ rules of behaviour. On the face of it, a welcome development: it is important to reflect on how platforms are designed. Which functions serve which people? How can clever design at early stages of product development minimise the amount of objectionable content being posted?
Of course, measures that make Facebook safer to use, are welcome. Still, this development leaves us feeling uneasy. By investing in “community leaders”, Facebook is meddling with society’s most essential category: its communities. It is an intervention we can do without. These are our prime objections.