Jeff Horwitz on Broken Code and Reporting on Facebook
Dec 20, 2023
auto_awesome
Reporter Jeff Horwitz discusses his book 'Broken Code' and the inner workings of Facebook, including the company's prioritization of growth over potential harms. The topics covered include Facebook's control over user experience, measuring data and impact, the design of Facebook's algorithm, institutional dynamics within the company, and the impact of reporting on Facebook's lack of significant change.
Facebook's decisions and algorithms have significant consequences on information spread and potential harms on the platform.
The tension between growth and integrity within Facebook poses challenges for those advocating for user safety.
Investigative journalism plays a crucial role in uncovering flaws within social media companies and holding them accountable.
Deep dives
The Importance of Understanding Facebook's Inner Workings
The podcast episode discusses Jeff Horwitz's book, 'Broken Code,' which delves into the internal documents he obtained from Facebook. The book sheds light on the choices made by Facebook (now Meta) and how they shape the user experience and potential harms caused by the platform. It emphasizes that Facebook is not a neutral platform and that the company wields significant power over what content succeeds, what features are deployed, and the weighting of algorithms. The podcast also examines the tension between growth and integrity within the company, highlighting the challenges faced by those advocating for user safety in the face of the company's focus on engagement metrics and growth. Overall, the episode offers a deeper understanding of how Facebook operates and raises questions about its responsibilities for the negative impacts of its products.
The Mechanics of Facebook's Platform
The episode explores the mechanics of Facebook's platform and its impact on the information ecosystem. It highlights the power and influence Facebook possesses, particularly in terms of content recommendation, amplification, and user engagement. The episode reveals that Facebook's decisions and algorithms are not neutral, and that they have significant consequences for how information spreads on the platform. Furthermore, it discusses the role of integrity work within Facebook and the challenges faced by those advocating for safer platforms. By focusing on the mechanics and impact of Facebook's platform, the episode sheds light on the complexities and potential harms of social media.
The Challenges of Reporting on Facebook
The podcast episode delves into the challenges faced by journalists reporting on Facebook and social media companies. It highlights the tensions between journalism and social media platforms, as well as the difficulties in producing journalism that reveals new information without resorting to clickbait or outrage-driven content. The episode also explores the dynamics between Facebook and journalism, including the impact of leaks on company decision-making and trust within the organization. Despite the challenges, the episode emphasizes the value of investigative journalism in uncovering flaws within social media companies and holding them accountable.
The Implications for the Information Ecosystem
The podcast delves into the implications of Facebook's inner workings and the influence it has on the information ecosystem. It discusses how Facebook's decisions and choices have a direct impact on the spread of information, content amplification, and user behavior. The episode raises questions about the responsibility of social media platforms in governing their products and mitigating potential harms. It also highlights the need for transparency and accountability in the design and management of social media platforms. Overall, the episode offers insights into the broader implications of Facebook's operations and their effects on the wider information ecosystem.
The Potential for Change and Future Considerations
The podcast episode reflects on the potential for change within Facebook and the broader social media landscape. While initial responses to the leaks and reporting may have seemed like 'bad press,' there is optimism that the public understanding of Facebook's inner workings can lead to positive shifts. The episode highlights the existence of a growing community of former employees who are knowledgeable about platform dynamics and actively working to improve social media governance. It also discusses the availability of internal documents to the public, allowing for independent research and development of alternative approaches to social media. The episode concludes with a call for a deeper understanding of the choices made by social media platforms and their implications for the future.
In 2021, the Wall Street Journal published a monster scoop: a series of articles about Facebook’s inner workings, which showed that employees within the famously secretive company had raised alarms about potential harms caused by Facebook’s products. Now, Jeff Horwitz, the reporter behind that scoop, has a new book out, titled “Broken Code”—which dives even deeper into the documents he uncovered from within the company. He’s one of the most rigorous reporters covering Facebook, now known as Meta.
On this episode of Arbiters of Truth, our series on the information ecosystem Lawfare Senior Editor Quinta Jurecic sat down with Jeff along with Matt Perault, the Director of the Center on Technology Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill—and also someone with close knowledge of Meta from his own time working at the company. They discussed Jeff’s reporting and debated what his findings tell us about how Meta functions as a company and how best to understand its responsibilities for harms traced back to its products.