Let’s see…who owns WhatsApp?
Mark Zuckerberg.
Yeah don’t get your hopes up.
WhatsApp Must Act to Protect Elections | foundation.mozilla.org
Submitted 6 months ago by otter@lemmy.ca to technology@lemmy.world
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/campaigns/whatsapp-must-act-to-protect-elections/
Comments
nytrixus@lemmy.world 6 months ago
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
I thought Mozilla was a FOSS organization whose goal it was to defend an open Internet with free communication?
Here they are putting out a blog post that says “WhatsApp should use the power it has over its users to implement antifeatures that their users might not want and could remove if it were FOSS”.
What the hell kind of world are we living in again?
otter@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
www.mozilla.org/en-CA/mission/
Our mission is to ensure the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all. An Internet that truly puts people first, where individuals can shape their own experience and are empowered, safe and independent.
I would say that is a better mission than just promoting “free communication”
Jackthelad@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Are you new to the hypocrisy of FOSS nerds?
schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
I suspect that I am; I am not omnipresent and not aware of everything happening everywhere.
Am I right that the logic is approximately like this: FOSS is a left-wing anti-business cause, misinformation tends to help right-wing parties win elections, therefore it is compatible with FOSS values and principles to want to use the power that proprietary software developers have in order to censor (“stop the spread of”) misinformation?
moon@lemmy.ml 6 months ago
WhatsApp is a huge vector for misinformation across the world. This is exactly the kind of specific demand people should be making of them to force some level of responsible behaviour
mannycalavera@feddit.uk 6 months ago
Meta: Yeah, nah…
gedaliyah@lemmy.world 6 months ago
It seems like messaging services are particularly prone the misinformation campaigns, since it is much more difficult to audit what is happening on the platform. How is a service like messenger or WhatsApp (both meta)going to monitor the content of messeges in a way that is safe to users? How would researchers identity and track information?
I know that the most outlandish content I see as a highly connected individual tends to come from these platforms. I do my best to educate when I see it, but I doubt it has much of a lasting impact.
It’s depressing and a little frightening to know how easily and cheaply our electorate is manipulated, and to see it happening in real time.
xep@fedia.io 6 months ago
Call me a pessimist, but it's highly unlikely WhatsApp will take any action that doesn't affect profits in the short term.
Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 6 months ago
“Please verify” is not enough of a red flag to overcome confirmation bias. People have to be reminded to seek disconfirming evidence. “Highly forwarded link is likely propaganda, consider the writers motivations and other views on the subject.”
otter@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
A downside to a statement like this would be the ‘crying wolf’ effect. If that message pops up on information they know to be true, where it’s being shared because it is important or relevant, then people are less likely to care.
A neutral message would help prevent that
Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Tough one to get right, isn’t it? I take your point, but I fear the power of confirmation bias might be too great.
iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee 6 months ago
Whatsapp link previews are rendered at meta servers. They could display any propaganda or fake news warnings they wanted on those previews.
Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 6 months ago
The fact that we’re having to ask Meta nicely to not screw up our elections after everything they’ve done is pretty dire straits. It’s a nice gesture from Mozilla, anyway.