Zuckerberg may have lost face but his company’s books are bulging

The trouble with Facebook is pretty obvious. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, The Australian, Tuesday:

It is frankly pretty surprising that a government needs to request that measures be in place to protect against the live-streaming of murder. Surely we could expect the social media platforms to establish such protections without being asked?

Facebook may have lost face, but its books are looking good. The Guardian, January 31 last year:

Facebook closed the book on its scandal-plagued year on Wednesday … a record profit of $6.88bn … with revenue rising 30 per cent to $16.64bn.

Insiders warned it. Investor Roger McNamee was Mark Zuckerberg’s mentor. He emailed Zuckerberg on October 31, 2016:

I am really sad about Facebook … I have taken great pride and joy in the company’s success … Now I am disappointed. I am embarrassed. I am ashamed. With more than 1.7 billion members, Facebook is among the most influential businesses in the world … Recently, Facebook has done some things that are truly horrible, and I can no longer excuse its ­behaviour.

Zuckerberg, the fifth richest person, looks on the bright side of life. Business Insider, April 5 last year:

… I’m a very idealistic person, right? I built this because I believe that giving everyone a voice is going to be a positive thing. And I still believe that … if you’re serving two billion people you’re going to see a lot of amazing things that people are capable of.

Roger that. Buzzfeed, June 16, 2017:

At least 45 instances of violence — shootings, rapes, murders, child abuse, torture, suicides and attempted suicides — have been broadcast via Live since its debut …

That was before the world knew of accused mass murderer Brenton Tarrant. The Spinoff, March 15 last year:

An apparent mass murder in Christchurch this afternoon was streamed live on Facebook, with use of a GoPro.

Facebook shamed. Radio New Zealand, March 22 last year:

Facebook “hates” that it was used to live-stream the terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch last Friday — and promises changes.

They’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. RNZ, same day:

Facebook spokesperson Simon Milner said it could have done better and it was prepared for regulatory action. Ideally, he said, Facebook’s technology would have prevented the video being uploaded …

Now, Simon said only “ideally”. News.com.au, Monday:

The soldier who massacred at least 29 people in Thailand and left more than 50 injured continued to post photo and videos from the scene to his Facebook page for almost five hours …

It’s sad, so sad, it’s a sad, sad situation. Elton John may find it hard to say sorry. Not the Zuckerperson. Wired, June 4, 2018:

By 2008, Zuckerberg had written only four posts on Facebook’s blog: Every single one of them was an apology or an attempt to explain a decision that had upset users.

Told you so. Buzzfeed, three years before Facebook streamed the Christchurch massacre:

… Zuckerberg touted Live as “a great medium for sharing raw and visceral content”. Videos of shootings, murders, suicides and rapes began to show up … with alarming regularity.