Re:Facebook sued for ‘losing control’ of users’ data
by Nasrudith on Tuesday February 09, 2021 @11:22AM
(#26079316)
The stakes change nothing about who is actually responsible. If a terrorist steals your car and uses it for an attack does that mean it is right to hold you accountable because the matter is so serious?
Facebook is not your parent. That logic, that others need to be "held accountable" and that voters are children who cannot be trusted to make up their own minds is far more dangerous to democracy than the Cambridge Analytica ratfucking.
Re:Facebook sued for ‘losing control’ of users’ data
by nvoid on Tuesday February 09, 2021 @11:48AM
(#26079616)
Sorry, should have made it clearer that Cambridge Analytica are the child in my analogy, but I think your point still stands.
I don't think voters are children and I agree with you that that is dangerous thinking, but I do think that showing advertisements based off of data they didn't know they gave in order to change their vote is not the way to allow them to make their own decisions.
I like how we have to preface our opinions with this now. I think if you're on HN it's a given at this point.
I would agree with you that there are a lot of stupid people on the site and they will still find away to do something stupid. But I despise harsh regulation and I don't think that's necessarily the solution. However, when the stakes are so high (elections) I think there is something to be said for forcing Facebook to be accountable. Akin to a parent being responsible for a child, you shouldn't let them get into a situation where they can be that badly behaved.