Making Sense with Sam Harris

#152 — The Trouble with Facebook

10 snips
Mar 27, 2019
Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley investor and early advisor to Facebook, discusses his book, 'Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.' He delves into the negative impact of social media on democracy, highlighting unethical business practices and the role of misinformation. McNamee reflects on his early interactions with Mark Zuckerberg, expressing concerns about Facebook's influence on public health and election security. He emphasizes the urgent need for accountability in tech and critiques the troubling data collection and manipulation practices that drive societal division.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Early Facebook Advice

  • In 2006, Roger McNamee advised a 22-year-old Mark Zuckerberg against selling Facebook for $1 billion.
  • McNamee believed Facebook could be bigger than Google due to authenticated identity and privacy controls.
ANECDOTE

Mentorship and Retirement

  • McNamee mentored Zuckerberg, helping him navigate management changes and recruit Sheryl Sandberg.
  • He retired from investing, disillusioned with business models that prioritized customer value over societal harm.
INSIGHT

Facebook's Algorithm Problem

  • Facebook's algorithms amplify inflammatory content, giving an advantage to hostile messages.
  • This was evident in the 2016 elections and various civil rights violations.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app