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Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets

Name: Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets
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Book Synopsis: THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • By an award-winning technology reporter for The Wall Street Journal, a behind-the-scenes look at the manipulative tactics Facebook used to grow its business, how it distorted the way we connect online, and the company insiders who found the courage to speak out"Broken Code fillets Facebook’s strategic failures to address its part in the spread of disinformation, political fracturing and even genocide. The book is stuffed with eye-popping, sometimes Orwellian statistics and anecdotes that could have come only from the inside." —New York Times Book Review

Once the unrivaled titan of social media, Facebook held a singular place in culture and politics. Along with its sister platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, it was a daily destination for billions of users around the world. Inside and outside the company, Facebook extolled its products as bringing people closer together and giving them voice.

But in the wake of the 2016 election, even some of the company’s own senior executives came to consider those claims pollyannaish and simplistic. As a succession of scandals rocked Facebook, they—and the world—had to ask whether the company could control, or even understood, its own platforms.

Facebook employees set to work in pursuit of answers. They discovered problems that ran far deeper than politics. Facebook was peddling and amplifying anger, looking the other way at human trafficking, enabling drug cartels and authoritarians, allowing VIP users to break the platform’s supposedly inviolable rules. They even raised concerns about whether the product was safe for teens. Facebook was distorting behavior in ways no one inside or outside the company understood.

Enduring personal trauma and professional setbacks, employees successfully identified the root causes of Facebook's viral harms and drew up concrete plans to address them. But the costs of fixing the platform—often measured in tenths of a percent of user engagement—were higher than Facebook's leadership was willing to pay. With their work consistently delayed, watered down, or stifled, those who best understood Facebook’s damaging effect on users were left with a choice: to keep silent or go against their employer.

Broken Code tells the story of these employees and their explosive discoveries. Expanding on “The Facebook Files,” his blockbuster, award-winning series for The Wall Street Journal, reporter Jeff Horwitz lays out in sobering detail not just the architecture of Facebook’s failures, but what the company knew (and often disregarded) about its societal impact. In 2021, the company would rebrand itself Meta, promoting a techno-utopian wonderland. But as Broken Code shows, the problems spawned around the globe by social media can’t be resolved by strapping on a headset.

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Discover the shocking truth behind Facebook's harmful secrets in the critically acclaimed book, "Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets." Written by an award-winning technology reporter for The Wall Street Journal, this eye-opening read takes you behind the scenes of Facebook's manipulative tactics and how it distorted the way we connect online. Uncover the courageous company insiders who found the strength to speak out against Facebook's actions.

"Broken Code" is a must-read for anyone concerned about the spread of disinformation, political fracturing, and even genocide. Packed with jaw-dropping statistics and Orwellian anecdotes that could only come from an insider's perspective, this book pulls back the curtain to reveal the shocking reality of Facebook's involvement in these issues.

Once the unrivaled titan of social media, Facebook held an influential place in culture and politics. However, the 2016 election exposed a dark side that even some of its own senior executives couldn't ignore. The scandals that followed forced Facebook to confront the question of whether it truly understood, or could control, its own platforms.

The dedicated employees of Facebook embarked on a mission to uncover the truth. What they discovered went far beyond political concerns. Facebook was not only peddling and amplifying anger, but also turning a blind eye to human trafficking, enabling drug cartels and authoritarians, and allowing VIP users to break the platform's rules with impunity. They even raised concerns about the safety of the platform for teens. The behavior-distorting impact of Facebook was far-reaching and largely unrecognized.

Despite enduring personal trauma and professional setbacks, these employees were determined to address the viral harms caused by Facebook. They identified the root causes and formulated concrete plans for solutions. However, the leaders of Facebook were unwilling to pay the high costs of fixing the platform, which often amounted to only a fraction of user engagement. The work of these brave individuals was consistently delayed, watered down, or suppressed, leaving them with a difficult choice: remain silent or stand up against their employer.

"Broken Code" chronicles the journey of these employees and their explosive discoveries. Building upon "The Facebook Files," an award-winning series for The Wall Street Journal, journalist Jeff Horwitz presents a sobering account of Facebook's failures and the company's willful disregard for its societal impact. Even as Facebook rebrands itself as Meta in 2021, touting a techno-utopian vision, "Broken Code" reminds us that strapping on a headset won't solve the problems spawned by social media across the globe.

Ready to delve into the world of "Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets"? Get your copy now and uncover the truth about Facebook's manipulations and the courageous individuals who risked it all to bring those secrets to light. Take a step towards understanding the impact of social media and its effect on our society.

Order now and embark on this eye-opening journey.

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