Capitalism Gone Wrong
The article examines Meta's business model, arguing that the company intentionally optimizes its AI recommendation algorithms to maximize user time spent on platforms. It questions the ethical implications of this 'addictive design' and its impact on user well-being.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between corporate profit motives and the societal impact of algorithmic engagement strategies.
I recently read this press release from the European Commission :
“The Commission’s investigation indicates that Meta did not adequately assess the risks of its addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.”
That made me think of the following quote from Mark Zuckerberg during Meta’s Q3 2024 earnings call on October 30, 2024:
“Improvements to our AI-driven feed and video recommendations have led to an 8% increase in time spent on Facebook and a 6% increase on Instagram this year alone.”
Later, during a follow-up call for the same earnings report, Meta CFO Susan Li said:
“We’re still seeing strong returns as improvements to both engagement and ad performance translate to revenue gains. I think Mark mentioned that this year the ranking improvements we’ve made have delivered an 8% increase in time spent on Facebook, a 6% increase on Instagram.”
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