January 6th Committee investigation found tech platforms systematically bent rules to avoid penalizing conservative content out of fear of political reprisals. Internal documents revealed Facebook maintained “white lists” exempting conservative accounts (Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., …
Twitter/XFacebook/MetaHouse January 6th CommitteeEric TrumpDonald Trump Jr.+2 moreplatform-captureconservative-biasregulatory-capturesocial-media-manipulationpolitical-favoritism+2 more
Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen testifies before the U.S. Senate that Facebook’s products harm children, stoke division, and weaken democracy, backed by tens of thousands of internal company documents showing Facebook executives knew about Instagram’s severe mental health …
Frances HaugenFacebookMark ZuckerbergU.S. SenateRichard Blumenthalfacebookwhistleblowerfrances-haugenalgorithm-harmteen-mental-health+5 more
Facebook bans Trump from the platform on January 7, 2021, one day after the Capitol insurrection his election fraud lies helped incite, but only after he has lost political power and can no longer retaliate against the company. The ban follows four years of systematic Terms of Service violations …
Mark ZuckerbergDonald TrumpFacebookFacebook Oversight Boardfacebooktrumpjanuary-6content-moderationaccountability+3 more
On December 16, 2020, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google joined by nine other states, exposing secret agreements between Google and Facebook—including the “Jedi Blue” deal—to eliminate competition in digital advertising and maintain Google’s …
Texas Attorney General Ken PaxtonGoogleFacebookMark ZuckerbergSundar Pichai+1 moregooglefacebookantitrustjedi-bluecollusion+4 more
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, files major antitrust lawsuit against Facebook alleging illegal monopolization through systematic acquisition of competitors Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC seeks structural breakup of Facebook through forced …
Federal Trade CommissionFacebookMark ZuckerbergInstagramWhatsApp+1 morefacebookftcantitrustmonopolizationinstagram+4 more
Facebook dismantles election safety measures immediately after the 2020 vote, prematurely rolling back safeguards designed to combat misinformation despite internal warnings. The decision enables “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theories to spread virally through the platform’s …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergFrances HaugenDonald TrumpCivic Integrity Teamfacebookelection-manipulationjanuary-6misinformationalgorithm-harm+5 more
Twitter and Facebook suppressed the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story after months of FBI warnings about potential Russian ‘hack-and-leak’ operations. The FBI had possessed the laptop since December 2019 and confirmed its authenticity, but when social media companies asked …
Facebook removed network of 54 accounts, 50 pages, and 4 Instagram accounts linked to Roger Stone in July 2020. Network spent over $308,000 on advertising since 2015, used fake accounts to pose as Florida residents and evade enforcement. Connected to Proud Boys and active during 2016 election when …
Roger StoneFacebookdisinformationsocial-mediastone-networkinformation-warfare
Facebook employees stage an unprecedented virtual walkout protesting Mark Zuckerberg’s refusal to take action against Trump’s post threatening violence against protesters, stating “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” The employee revolt exposes Facebook’s …
Mark ZuckerbergDonald TrumpFacebookFacebook EmployeesSheryl Sandbergfacebooktrumpincitementemployee-protestcontent-moderation+3 more
Facebook’s internal research definitively confirms that Instagram is toxic for teenage girls, causing body image issues, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, but the company conceals these findings from the public while continuing to aggressively target youth users to drive engagement …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergInstagramWall Street JournalFrances Haugenfacebookinstagramteen-harmmental-healthbody-image+5 more
Mark Zuckerberg delivers major policy speech at Georgetown University announcing that Facebook will not fact-check political advertisements, effectively licensing the Trump campaign and other political actors to spread unlimited disinformation through paid advertising on the platform. The policy …
Mark ZuckerbergFacebookDonald TrumpJoe BidenTrump Campaignfacebookpolitical-adsmisinformationfree-speech-abusetrump-campaign+3 more
Mark Zuckerberg conducts secret, unreported meetings with Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Facebook board member Peter Thiel at the White House to negotiate content moderation policies and regulatory pressure. According to later reporting, Zuckerberg promises to avoid fact-checking political speech …
Mark ZuckerbergDonald TrumpJared KushnerPeter ThielFacebook+1 morefacebooktrump-administrationregulatory-capturepolitical-influencewhite-house+3 more
The FTC announces a record $5 billion fine against Facebook for privacy violations related to Cambridge Analytica, but grants unprecedented immunity from personal liability to Mark Zuckerberg and other executives for past misconduct while imposing no structural changes to the company’s …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergFederal Trade CommissionRohit ChopraRebecca Kelly Slaughter+1 morefacebookftcregulatory-capturefineszuckerberg-immunity+4 more
Facebook publicly admits that its platform was used to “foment division and incite offline violence” in Myanmar’s genocide against Rohingya Muslims, acknowledging the UN’s determination that Facebook played a “determining role” in violence that killed thousands …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergUnited NationsRohingya MuslimsMyanmar Militaryfacebookgenocidemyanmarrohingyacorporate-accountability+3 more
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies for 10 hours before Congress, apologizing for data breaches and promising reforms while avoiding real accountability for platform’s role in election manipulation
Mark ZuckerbergUS CongressFacebookCambridge Analyticacongressional-testimonycambridge-analyticarussian-interferencezuckerbergfacebook-scandal+1 more
Christopher Wylie reveals Cambridge Analytica harvested 87 million Facebook profiles without consent for political manipulation, triggering global privacy crisis
Christopher WylieCambridge AnalyticaFacebookAleksandr KoganSteve Bannon+1 morewhistleblowersocial-media-democratic-corruptiondigital-information-warfarewhig-template-digital-evolutionsystematic-cognitive-manipulation+10 more
Facebook suspends Cambridge Analytica and parent company SCL from its platform following explosive revelations by whistleblower Christopher Wylie about systematic data harvesting affecting 87 million users. The suspension comes only after The Guardian and New York Times publish comprehensive exposés …
FacebookCambridge AnalyticaSCL GroupChristopher WylieThe Guardian+4 morefacebook-suspensionchristopher-wylie-whistleblowerregulatory-failureelectoral-manipulation-exposedinstitutional-accountability+3 more
Facebook intensively lobbies the Irish government and Data Protection Commission in advance of GDPR implementation, successfully negotiating weaker enforcement and regulatory interpretation that allows continued surveillance practices. The lobbying campaign creates Ireland as a data protection …
FacebookIrish Data Protection CommissionEnda Kenny (Irish Taoiseach)Max SchremsEuropean Commissionfacebookgdprlobbyingregulatory-captureprivacy+3 more
Facebook reveals to Congress that Russian operatives bought $100,000 in political ads reaching millions of Americans, first admission of platform weaponization for foreign election interference, detailed in multiple congressional hearings and investigations throughout late 2017
FacebookInternet Research AgencyUS CongressRussian GovernmentMark Zuckerbergrussian-interferencefacebook-adselection-manipulationforeign-influenceplatform-weaponization+1 more
Facebook’s engagement-maximizing algorithm proactively amplifies Myanmar military’s anti-Rohingya hate speech and genocide propaganda, directly contributing to systematic ethnic cleansing that kills thousands and displaces over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims. The platform’s surveillance …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergMyanmar Military (Tatmadaw)Rohingya MuslimsUnited Nations+1 morefacebookgenocidemyanmarrohingyaalgorithm-harm+6 more
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR (acquired by Facebook for $2 billion in 2014), departed Facebook in March 2017 following controversy over his $10,000 donation to Nimble America, a pro-Trump political group. Internal Facebook emails later revealed that executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, …
The ACLU of Northern California released a report revealing that Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram had provided special data access to Geofeedia, a surveillance technology company that marketed its location-based monitoring tools to law enforcement agencies for tracking Black Lives Matter protesters …
ACLUGeofeediaTwitterFacebookInstagramsurveillancesocial-mediablack-lives-matterprotestscivil-rights+3 more
Facebook embeds staff directly in Trump campaign headquarters in San Antonio, working side-by-side with campaign staff including Cambridge Analytica to optimize Facebook advertising for voter targeting and suppression. The unprecedented corporate-political coordination provides Trump’s …
FacebookBrad ParscaleTrump CampaignMark ZuckerbergCambridge Analyticafacebooktrump-campaignelection-manipulationcorporate-political-coordination2016-election+3 more
Cambridge Analytica utilizes 87 million harvested Facebook profiles to conduct targeted psychological manipulation for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The operation represents systematic electoral interference using illegally obtained personal data to influence American voters through …
Cambridge AnalyticaTrump CampaignAlexander NixSteve BannonRobert Mercer+1 moretrump-campaign-2016electoral-manipulationpsychographic-profilingtargeted-disinformationsystematic-interference+1 more
The Guardian’s Harry Davies published the first exposé revealing Cambridge Analytica’s use of harvested Facebook data for US Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign without user consent. Millions of Americans’ personal information were collected and weaponized for political …
Harry DaviesThe GuardianCambridge AnalyticaTed CruzFacebook+1 moreguardian-investigationted-cruz-campaignunauthorized-data-useelectoral-manipulationfacebook-policy-violation+2 more
The St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency began purchasing Facebook
ads and running coordinated influence operations. Senate Intelligence
Committee reports and platform disclosures document spending (about $100,000
on ~3,000 ads) and reach in the tens of millions between 2015 and 2017.
Internet Research AgencyFacebookYevgeny Prigozhinrussian-interferencefacebook-adselection-manipulationforeign-influence
Facebook conducted a massive psychological experiment on 689,003 users without explicit consent, manipulating their news feeds to study emotional contagion. Researchers Adam Kramer, Jamie Guillory, and Jeff Hancock published findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealing …
Adam KramerJamie GuilloryJeff HancockFacebookCornell Universitysocial-mediaresearch-ethicspsychological-manipulationtech-ethicsdigital-privacy
The Federal Communications Commission votes 3-2 to advance Chairman Tom Wheeler’s controversial proposal that would permit internet service providers to charge content companies for priority “fast lane” access to consumers, fundamentally threatening net neutrality principles. The …
Tom WheelerFederal Communications CommissionGoogleMicrosoftFacebook+3 morenet-neutralityfccregulatory-capturetelecommunicationstom-wheeler
Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion, the largest tech acquisition to date, eliminating its primary competitor in mobile messaging and consolidating monopoly control over personal communications platforms. The FTC approves the acquisition without structural separation requirements despite …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergWhatsAppJan KoumBrian Acton+1 morefacebookwhatsappantitrustmergermonopolization+4 more
Following Edward Snowden’s revelations about NSA surveillance, major tech companies began publishing transparency reports disclosing limited information about government data requests, marking the first time companies could publicly acknowledge FISA court orders. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, …
The Washington Post and The Guardian simultaneously published explosive revelations about PRISM, a classified program allowing the National Security Agency and FBI to tap directly into the central servers of nine major U.S. internet companies to extract audio, video, photographs, emails, documents, …
Edward SnowdenGlenn GreenwaldBart GellmanNSAMicrosoft+4 morensa-surveillanceprismedward-snowdenmass-surveillancetech-surveillance+1 more
Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s PRISM program gave the government direct access to servers of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Apple, and other tech giants, collecting emails, photos, videos, and communications of millions of Americans. Companies initially resisted but capitulated under …
University of Cambridge researcher Aleksandr Kogan develops the “thisisyourdigitallife” personality quiz app through his company Global Science Research, designed to exploit Facebook’s API permissions to harvest user data. The app is marketed as a psychological research tool …
Aleksandr KoganGlobal Science ResearchUniversity of CambridgeFacebookCambridge Analyticaaleksandr-koganthisisyourdigitallifedata-harvestingfacebook-apipersonality-quiz+1 more
Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan developed a personality-quiz
app that collected data via Facebook’s API and shared it with Cambridge
Analytica. Regulators later documented deceptive practices; Facebook estimated
up to ~87 million users were affected.
Aleksandr KoganFacebookCambridge AnalyticaGlobal Science Researchdata-harvestingcambridge-analyticaprivacy-violationelection-interference
Morgan Stanley and other underwriters engaged in selective disclosure during Facebook’s initial public offering, revealing sensitive financial information only to institutional investors. Massachusetts securities regulators fined Morgan Stanley million for creating an ‘unlevel playing …
Morgan StanleyFacebookWilliam GalvinJames Gormansecurities-fraudmarket-manipulationtech-industryfinancial-regulationfacebook+1 more
Analysis of congressional testimony revealed that think tanks funded by corporations and wealthy donors appeared as expert witnesses before congressional committees without disclosing their financial conflicts of interest. Between 2021-2024, 34% of think tank witnesses came from “dark …
Digital Sky Technologies (DST), led by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov and Yuri Milner, purchases a 1.96% stake in Facebook for $200 million. The investment, strategically structured without voting rights, marks a significant entry of Russian capital into the emerging social media platform.
Alisher UsmanovYuri MilnerMark ZuckerbergPeter ThielFacebookfacebook-russiatech-investmentrussian-investmentsocial-media-influenceoligarch-networks