Member-only story
How to Avoid Giving Facebook Money
So you can stay connected while boycotting Facebook and Instagram.
The New York Times reported on a growing boycott of Facebook by advertisers. I am pleasantly surprised to see that Facebook’s behemoth status is no longer shielding it from the consequences of its abysmal privacy practices and lack of genuine value. I’ve written about my reasons for never using any social media owned by Facebook.
You too may have had enough with Facebook enabling disinformation campaigns, privacy breaches, and hate speech, followed by the same rote, insincere apology (“Facebook needs to do better, and we will” — really? When?). If so, consider registering your disapproval in the only way that makes an impact — hitting them in the revenue.
Decreasing their revenue has two possible favorable outcomes: the company responds to the pressure and improves, or, Facebook shrinks or dies and decreases in its ability to cause harm.
It can be difficult to cut the cord unless your peer group moves with you. There is often one Facebook group you need to be a part of or one set of friends who coordinate all their events through Facebook.
The difficulty of ending your relationship with the company is precisely the reason Facebook has been so powerful and acted with such…