back to article Activist claims victory in forcing Facebook vote over rule changes

The Europe-v-Facebook campaign organized by Austrian law student Max Schrems is claiming victory after the social networking giant announced it is holding a vote on updates to its operating policy. "Today we are asking you to join our second global site governance vote," said Elliot Schrage, VP of communications and public …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Someone help me out here

    Am I misunderstanding something, or do the Facebook policy changes up for vote now really contain next to nothing concerning the subjects Max Schrems would like to see changed?

    Because if that's true, and it does seem so to me, then regardless of his noble intentions, he's abusing Facebook's voting system. Trying to reject any kind of subtle change needed for the day-to-day workings of the website until they cave in to our demands seems pretty much like an attempt at blackmail, and will only result in Facebook abolishing this opportunity for user feedback entirely.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Facebook will do what it wants to do and not what the public say it should do.

      Anyone will illusions of having a say and imput will be gravely disappointed especially when you consider good auld Zuck still has the majority shareholding. He will get what he wants, when he wants it and at a time to suit him.

      Enlightenment is when you kill off your Facebook profile and find there is life after that death, and you'll be all the better for it.

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Can Facebook users be bothered to vote?"

    Hmmm, can the average Facebook denizen even tell consonant from vowel? Can they type anything approaching a structured sentence without the use of 'lolz', 'innit', 'well reem' etc.? I have even recently encountered an individual who screamed (during intermittent access problems) "the internet doesn't work without Facebook!"

    Can the average Facebook user be bothered to vote? Probably not - such a literary challenge would require an IQ above 0.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Boffin

      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073486/

    2. Arctic fox
      Trollface

      Got to agree with your old chap in regard to "Can Facebook users be bothered to vote?

      According to one of my favourite Trek novels "Spock's World" the old Vulcan word for "idiot" meant "one who fails to participate in civic affairs".

  4. Jeebus

    I think given the average intelligence of Facebook users is astonishingly low [even by the standards set by UK schooling] there will be nothing happening on this issue.

    Good on the kid for trying, but Zuck is all about money, and the people are their product.

  5. jake Silver badge

    So let me get this right ...

    The "voting" will happen thru' facebook itself, then the results will be provided to an "auditor" ... Am I the only one who sees problems with this chain of events?

    The nickname "farcebook" has indeed been well & truly earned.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Corporate democracy" that made me laugh out loud.

  7. jaycee331
    FAIL

    Alternatively...

    I'd be so much happier just to see Facebook operate fairly and with integrity, respecting every detail of our Data Protection laws and use of individual opt-in consent to make any form of changes to their ownership and processing of user data. The very fact that when Facebook were bombarded with 1000's on Subject Access Requests, which by law must be honoured within 40 days, saw them respond "sorry, this is not reasonable, we can't possibly process this volume in requests in that period" demonstrated that they are incapable, by design, of operating legally.

    Europe vs Facebook did some outstanding work in identifying multiple DPA violations. But you just knew it would turn out to nothing when the authorities come out with the usual "we will work with Facebook to address these concerns" instead of "we're sue their goddamn arse for these violations".

    This voting scheme is a hopeless distraction and nothing but an illusion of progress.

  8. Winkypop Silver badge
    FAIL

    So the Facebork minions get to vote

    A bit like a bunch of slaves getting to decide which stick is used to beat them.

    1. Caesarius
      Pirate

      Re: So the Facebork minions get to vote

      Quite. It is a miserable choice between the policy originally complained about and the unacceptable replacement. I can see why the activist suggests voting for the former, because it is the stick that should hurt FB most when they use it. I can hardly bring myself to vote either way.

      What the slaves need is a Get Out of Gaol Free card: how about an app. that backs up all your FB postings etc. with a non-proprietary standard (sorry for the pleonasm) data format? As with all backup methods, this must be as simple as possible so that people who have only just about learnt enough to use FB can "vote with their feet".

      Eh, let's go an put t' breeze up t' Saxons...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    30%

    Is that 30% of all users, or 30% of all active users?

    Assuming 50% of Facebook users is dormant, they would need 60% of users to vote instead of 30%.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    nieve

    My company has to obey the law, we all do, that is why it is called the law.

    How about i start a company tomorrow that flouts the law, will it give me a competitive advantage?

    More importantly if i get it to a few billion in value, does my law breaking no longer matter?

    .... and we wonder why youfs have trouble distinguishing what is right and wrong.

  11. auburnman
    Trollface

    Welcome to the FaceBook voting app. To use this app, you must upgrade to timeline and accept our new revised Terms and Conditions...

    ...Thank you for accepting the new Terms and Conditions. Your vote to accept has been registered. We now return you to a hundred game requests and the usual inane drivel your so-called friends bombard you with.

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