Ep 4. Inside the Social Network: Facebook's Difficult Year
- July 16, 2019
Inside the Social Network: Facebook's Difficult Year is the fourth episode of the 2019 season of the popular scientific documentary series Horizon. This episode, with a run time of approximately 50 minutes, delves into the tumultuous year experienced by Facebook following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal in March 2018.
The episode features interviews with employees of Facebook, experts in social media and data protection, as well as those who were affected by the scandal. Through their perspectives, the viewer is given a comprehensive view of the scandal, what led up to it, and how it could have been prevented.
One of the main themes of the episode is the tension between Facebook's business model of targeted advertising and its user's privacy. The documentary explores how Facebook collects and utilizes personal data to create a profile of its users, which is used to deliver personalized advertisements. It also delves into how third-party app developers were able to access this information without users' consent and the implications of this data mining on elections and political campaigns.
Furthermore, the episode also investigates the reactions of Facebook users and regulators to the scandal. It covers the social media movement #DeleteFacebook, which was initiated by some users disgusted by what they saw as a betrayal of their trust. It examines how regulators stepped in, demanding greater oversight and forcing Facebook to change its practices.
Throughout, the episode seeks to answer the question of how Facebook can move forward after this scandal. It questions whether regulation is the answer and what responsibility Facebook has to its users and society at large.
Overall, Inside the Social Network: Facebook's Difficult Year is a thought-provoking episode that provides a lens through which to view the intersection of technology, personal data, and politics. It emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in social media companies and their impact on the wider world.
