In the beginning, Facebook was a simple online service for people to connect to others – from their college, neighbourhood, shared interests etc. but it grew huge and into a monopoly position.

Rather than trying to be a force for good in the world, Facebook has been all about self-interest, money, greed, destroying any opposition and growing ever more dominant.

At the same time, it has deliberately ignored warnings over damaging content and damaging practices, ignored user privacy concerns and ignored its negative impact on society. Facebook has repeatedly been disgraced for bad behaviour but still continues in the same way.

THIS MUST STOP.

Facebook must transform itself and its people.

1. Understand that the content created by the users belongs to the users not to Facebook. We choose to let Facebook use that content but for our benefit not for allowing greed to grow ever worseand our privacy to be undermined.
2. Respect theuser’s wishes over use of their content.
3. Do not use data for reasons other than specified to the users.
4. Do not track users on websites or services other than those owned by Facebook.
5. Stop trying to make Facebook more addictive or appealing to teenagers and children.
6. Protect children from damaging content and use panels of citizens to determine what material should and shouldn’t be allowed.
7. Make all processes over advertising clean and transparent.This will give away a little of Facebook’s advantage but it is necessary.
8. Facebook is not a publisher in the same sense as a newspaper, radio or TV station, but it is publishing content and must share responsibility for that content and any damage that may come from inadequate controls on content and access.
9. Be open, honest and transparent about challenges and what is being done to fix them.
10. Stop targeting ‘competitors’ – you must not abuse your monopoly position. Use it to help people not to destroy businesses you don’t like

Now is the time for Facebook to transform itself from a pariah into a respected business.

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