Louis Ingenthron @LouisIngenthron@qoto.org

@ocdtrekkie That's complete bullshit. They already implement hundreds of systems to protect the safety and security of their users, not because any law demands it, but because it's good for the user experience which (get this!) drives profits.

It's up to users to vote with their wallets about which features they care most about.

By leaving Twitter for Mastodon, users such as me (and presumably you) are active participants in the marketplace of ideas that is currently punishing the hell out of Twitter's profitability for its poor decisions.

@ocdtrekkie Again, you've got the agency in that sentence backwards. Nobody forces anyone to watch. Nobody forces anyone to click the recommendations in the list.

People make those decisions for themselves.

You write about Facebook like crime reporters write about police sidearms.

"The victim was injured when the officer's weapon discharged."
"The victim was injured when the assailant was fully radicalized by Facebook."

@ocdtrekkie You left out the last bit.

"Google has decided this will make them more ad money to show you because they think you'll like it because it resembles other things you've liked in the past."

@brody This really scares me. I really wanted KSP2 to be awful. Both because I was concerned about executive meddling and because I don't want to lose another 800 hours of my life...

@ocdtrekkie No, they're entirely responsible for all content they create themselves.

The rules work the same for everyone. They're not responsible for your speech and you're not responsible for theirs.

That's how it should be.

@ocdtrekkie Except it's really more like the Dewey Decimal System.

Like reading one book on Hitler? Just go to that shelf and you'll find a dozen more, plus other books on tangential subjects.

That's also effectively a recommendation system.

@ocdtrekkie Facebook can't "drive" anyone to suicide. Suicide is a deeply personal decision based on multiple factors.

All Facebook can do is expose people to triggers, but it's still the choice of the user whether they want to expose themselves to Facebook.

It's not any tech company's responsibility to sanitize the internet to protect every individual.

People are responsible for their own actions.

@ocdtrekkie No, they aren't "unaware", but they're also not active participants.

If someone asks a librarian for books about Hitler, and the librarian gives them a list, is the librarian responsible for radicalizing a new fascist?

@ocdtrekkie As for your other question, yes. You can't prevent harm without first performing studies to determine what causes it. It's a good thing that they're doing such studies.

@ocdtrekkie It's from the same Haugen document release you're talking about, lol. https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/facebook-removed-the-news-feed-algorithm?s=09

@ocdtrekkie Only if they knew what they were doing was a crime when they did it. If their buddies lied to them and they were unaware the bank was robbed, we don't charge them.

@ocdtrekkie Yes. Are you aware of the study they did that shows they make more money when they turn off their algorithm and go to chronological?

@ocdtrekkie There's lots of doubt about that. The videos posted to YouTube may have recruited Terrorists, but you're still trying to shoot the messenger for a crime someone else committed.

@ocdtrekkie Of course influence is a factor. But it's not mind control.

Just because McDonalds advertises to me doesn't mean it's not my decision whether or not to eat there. It doesn't make them liable for my choices.

@ocdtrekkie @joeyh@octodon.social @evangreer People are, yes.

But politicians may not because politicians wield power and power corrupts.

@ocdtrekkie @joeyh@octodon.social @evangreer I'm aware of the allegations you're preparing to spew, yes.

@ocdtrekkie @joeyh@octodon.social @evangreer Really? See, I thought the assholes pulling the triggers were responsible for mass shootings. Silly me.

It's weird how humans have no agency in your world, but corporations do.

@ocdtrekkie @joeyh@octodon.social @evangreer You're proving my point. These people are seeking out this information.

@ocdtrekkie @joeyh@octodon.social @evangreer Also, even if you were shown an ISIS recruitment video, would that make you want to join ISIS?

Or would you already have to have some sympathy for their cause before even considering that?