Facebook: Friend or Foe?

I should be lauding it for building strong networks beyond the reach of tyrants and jackboot regimes across the world, providing the space for a resistance movement to grow.

It democratises conversation: no longer do people need to speak through traditional media such as this newspaper.

The top-down model of information distribution which has lasted for centuries is dead, and with it the Establishment’s grip on the means of distribution.

Facebook allows creative, imaginative people to reach an audience without facing the usual barriers to production. 

There are no hosting, printing or distribution costs and everyone has a level playing field: the design remains the same for all.

This means that content, not capital, is king. In Kosovo, everything from cultural events to political poetry is distributed on Facebook’s ever-changing Timeline.

It is the dominant medium by quite some distance; nothing else comes close. The revolution will not be televised in the 21st Century, but it will be streamed live on Facebook. I am in awe of what Mark Zuckerberg has achieved. Who wouldn’t be?

But I am also uncomfortable with what Facebook could become. Its flotation on Wall Street this week shows this giant spider’s web in a more sinister light.

Facebook has 800 million members – a large customer base, you might think, to warrant its extraordinary valuation at 100 billion dollars. But the lowly users of this social network are not customers, as we pay nothing. We are the product.

Facebook is an advertising company and what is being offered to investors is me and you: holiday photos, private conversations, information on where you have being logging on from, stories you read online and networks of friends and family.

Obviously the company isn’t selling those wholesale, but it is using that information to provide pinpoint advertising.

Facebook continues to promote itself as a tool for good, but it is also a multinational company in possession of the greatest-ever database on humankind.It is the closest we have come to a Doomsday Book and demonstrates the immense power of this company. Whether you like it or not, Facebook is here to stay.

And it will continue to play a critical role in all arenas in Kosovo. Those who know how to exploit it will reap the rewards.

A word of caution: Facebook’s quirky business style and free-radical statements may comfort you in your continued use of its service.

But there is no such thing as a free lunch. When Mr Zuckerberg invites you to his table, remember, you are the lunch.