Mark Zuckerberg has come up with an opinion on the allegations of data abuse. In the days that passed, the pressure on him grew steadily. The fact that he waited until he even expressed himself, speaks for an approach to the salami tactic: Statements only if the pressure is too large, then only the bare minimum and in the smallest slices.
Finally, on his Facebook page, he said, “We have a responsibility to protect your information, and if we can not, we do not deserve to be in your service.” the company he managed spoke? According to media reports Zuckerberg already knew since 2015 of the Cambridge Analytica activities.
The Green politician Konstantin von Notz accuses Facebook to refuse serious discussions for years. Greater control would be necessary to “implement German law.” Only with the confidence of the citizens can advance digitalization. For this trust, it needs the certainty that our fundamental rights also apply to Facebook. In the current case, “Facebook must put the cards on the table: how many cases have there been in Germany? What else is there to clarify at Cambridge Analytica? So that finally action is taken. ”
Lack of responsibility criticizes internet expert and blogger Sascha Lobo, who called the indignation over Cambridge Analytica incident but exaggerated. The real scandal lies in the fact that Facebook does not want to accept its “profound social impact” as opinion-forming medium. The dangers to democracy are hidden in favor of advertising revenues.
“I founded Facebook, and at the end of the day, I’m responsible for what’s happening on our platform,” Zuckerberg says. From a responsibility of Facebook beyond the network, nothing is heard, just as there are no concrete commitments, which steps Facebook would like to go. Should Facebook’s handling of data be controlled so he does not get out of control?
There is still no serious alternative to Facebook. Zuckerberg knows that. Therefore, nothing will happen if he leaves the excitement more or less in the sand. However, he should keep in mind that there is a growing willingness to develop alternatives, and users are increasingly deleting their accounts as such negative headlines circulate about Facebook’s dealings with data.
The DIC recommends managers: Prepare for crises regularly. Once the crisis has started, point out what you are doing to remedy the reason for the crisis. Let action be followed by your announcements. Zuckerberg will probably take his apology – a second time that will only work if he has credibly underlined his words through actions.
Contact: office@medientraining-institut.de
Source: (CC) Brian Solis, www.briansolis.com and bub.blicio.us
