Veteran tech columnist Mossberg quits Facebook - "no longer comfortable" with the policies and actions of the company.
Veteran
tech columnist Mossberg quits Facebook
By
Veteran
tech columnist Walt Mossberg rocked the tech world Monday by announcing that he
was quitting Facebook and company-owned Instagram, saying he's "no longer
comfortable" with the policies and actions of the company.
Facebook has come
under fire all year from tech pundits, politicians and concerned citizens over
multiple data breaches, collecting personal information that can be in turn
marketed to advertisers and how easy it's been for outside forces like Russia
and other countries to manipulate media for political gain.
"I am hardly the
first person to quit Facebook and I am not urging anyone else to do so, or
trying to spark some dump-Facebook movement," wrote Mossberg, who retired
in 2016 after cover tech for years for the Wall Street Journal, ReCode and the
Verge. He is currently writing a book about his years in tech.
"This is a decision I am
making just for myself. If the company or the service change significantly for
the better, in my view, or become effectively regulated, I may resume regular
use."
Mossberg declined further
comment, saying he preferred to have his posts on Facebook and Twitter speak
for themselves. Facebook also declined to comment.
On Twitter, many congratulated
Mossberg for taking the stand, while others criticized him for sticking with
Twitter, or the Internet, for that matter.
"If that's your standard,
you might as well quit using the Internet entirely," wrote Douglas Chia on
Twitter.
1/ Some personal news: I've decided to quit Facebook
around the end of the year. I am doing this - after being on Facebook for
nearly 12 years - because my own values and the policies and actions of
Facebook have diverged to the point where I’m no longer comfortable there.
I quit a couple months ago. Made me realize
iMessage/FaceTime is the only social network I need.
1/ Some personal news: I've decided to quit Facebook
around the end of the year. I am doing this - after being on Facebook for
nearly 12 years - because my own values and the policies and actions of
Facebook have diverged to the point where I’m no longer comfortable there.
Not judging your FB exodus one way or another, but
curious what makes you comfortable staying on Twitter.
The latest Facebook controversy
erupted in November, when the New York Times revealed that Facebook had hired a
political consulting firm to dig up dirt on George Soros, the billionaire
financier who had criticized Facebook policies.
Initially, Facebook execs said
they were unaware that the firm, Definers, a Republican linked lobbying firm,
had worked for the social network, but then admitted to the hiring, saying that
chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg was aware of the hire.
Just last week Facebook
apologized for its latest security breach, a bug that affected up to 6.8
million people who used a Facebook login and gave permission to third-party
apps to access their photos.
Facebook says the bug has been
fixed but indicated some third-party apps “may have had access to a broader set
of photos than usual” spanning the 12-day period between Sept. 13 and Sept.
25.
In the wake of the many
controversies this year, there have been many calls for the resignation of
co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, but he has vowed to remain on the job.
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