(TargetLiberty.org) – Two weeks ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched an ambitious rebrand of his company and announced a new direction – towards the “metaverse,” a more interactive digital world. However, a new poll suggests most people think he’s done quite enough damage already.
A CNN poll released on November 10 found that more than three-quarters of Americans think Facebook makes society worse – and just 11% think it has a positive impact. Upon closer inspection, the figures aren’t quite as bad as the headline suggests. Of the people who think Facebook is bad for us, 55% think that’s because of how other users behave. Of course, that still leaves 45% who think it’s because of how Facebook itself operates.
CNN POLL CONDUCTED BY SSRS
Nov. 1-4
Facebook’s Effect
On US Society
Makes US society worse 76%
Makes US society better 11%
Has no effect 13% https://t.co/yDDTlkbO2G— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 10, 2021
Negative feelings about Facebook cover the political spectrum. While Republicans are more likely to blame the company’s policies for its harm, a not-insignificant 27% of Democrats feel that way too. Just over half of respondents think the company needs more government regulation.
Right now, Facebook is lurching from controversy to controversy. Public concerns recently forced the company to shut down its facial recognition branch, and documents released by a whistleblower highlight its failure to crack down on fake news, conspiracy theories and political bias. In that light, the rebrand looks more like an attempt to ditch a toxic name than a bold step forward. Still, with the flagship platform losing popularity among younger users, is it already too late?
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