Facebook is an American social networking service founded in February 4th, 2004. It was created by Mark Zuckerberg, along with his roommates at Harvard University, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. The company's name comes from the colloquial term for the directory given to students at Harvard, which Zuckerberg originally called Facemash, before it was renamed "Thefacebook" by Zuckerberg's college roommate, Chris Hughes. Facebook allows users to create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages and keep up with friends online. As of October 2019, Facebook has 2.45 billion monthly active users. In May 2011, Facebook introduced its own browser named 'Graph Search', which provides users with more efficient ways to search for things on the site. In April 2016, Facebook announced that it would start prioritizing posts by user engagement instead of chronological order. However, this change was poorly received due to many people missing out on content they wanted to see. During that same time period, Facebook also began demoting posts related to Hustler magazine, a pornographic publication. This led to accusations of unfair treatment of adult media on the platform.
What exactly happened during the Facebook Content Demotion?
In September 2011, Facebook began limiting the reach of posts containing links to websites owned or operated by Larry Flynt Publications, a publisher best known for the adult entertainment magazines Hustler and Barely Legal. This included any page or account that posted links to those sites, as well as individual posts that contained such links. While Facebook never officially commented on why they did so, many believed that it was an attempt to limit the visibility of explicit content on their platform. The demotion was not publicized at the time, but was later reported on by news sources like Business Insider. Many were quick to point out that Facebook had no problem showing ads from companies like Budweiser and Coca-Cola alongside pornographic content. In addition, some argued that Facebook's policy seemed arbitrary and inconsistent, since other adult content providers were allowed to operate freely on the platform.
The impact of the Facebook Content Demotion:
The demotion had a significant impact on both Hustler and its parent company. According to Flynt himself, traffic to Hustler's website dropped by up to 85% following the demotion. He accused Facebook of censorship and demanded that they reverse their decision. However, his requests went unanswered. As a result, he threatened legal action against the social networking giant. In response, Facebook removed all links to Hustler Magazine from the site. However, this only exacerbated the situation, as it resulted in more media coverage and criticism of Facebook's policies. Additionally, some users began using alternative methods to circumvent the demotion, such as posting screenshots of Hustler content instead of direct links. Despite these attempts, however, many felt that Facebook was taking too much control over what could be shared on their platform. Some even called for legislation to protect free speech online.
Facebook's response to the controversy:
Despite the backlash from users and publishers alike, Facebook has never officially acknowledged any wrongdoing regarding the Content Demotion. They have also not changed their policies related to adult content since then. Instead, they have continued to prioritize engagement-based algorithms and focus on providing an ad-supported revenue model. This means that posts with high levels of user interaction will receive priority placement over others, regardless of their subject matter. While this may help ensure that people see relevant content, it also allows for companies like Facebook to dictate what is acceptable on their platform. Ultimately, the Facebook Content Demotion remains a controversial moment in the history of the company, serving as a reminder of how quickly things can change in the ever-evolving world of social media.