Stallman: Only Victims Of Tyranny Should Use Facebook

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Facebook is only good for victims of tyranny

Aware that social media are being used in the Arab uprisings, Stallman says it is ironic that the rebels have been using Facebook, which is normally a threat to their privacy.

“If people have been able to use it to bring about the downfall of tyrants, I have to say that is good, but in general I say don’t use Facebook,” said Stallman. “Maybe I should make an exception if you are living in a country with a tyrannical government.”

“Abuse of personal information is Facebook’s business model,” said Stallman. Although it will occasionally respond to public pressure, people can’t stop it doing what it does, he said – including things like “selling the use of people’s photos in advertisements without asking them.”

The social media site is about as likely to stop abusing personal information as McDonalds is to stop using meat, eWEEK suggested.

“It is more likely that McDonalds would stop selling meat, than that Facebook would stop abusing privacy,” corrected Stallman. “They could sell something else. They wouldn’t mind reducing the meat content in their burgers. They wouldn’t mind replacing it with cardboard. Or replacing the meat with sugar, if they could get away with it.

“Facebook is not your friend,” said Stallman, who has never had a Facebook page and will never do so.

He’s very firm that eWEEK Europe should stay away from Facebook: “Why are you using Facebook? You aren’t in a country that needs a revolution,” he said, before continuing: “Well, maybe it does. But is that what you are using Facebook for?”

We use Facebook to promote our site, eWEEK explained. “I think you shouldn’t do that, because you are promoting Facebook while you are at it,” he said. “When an organisation that mistreats people uses the network effect, everybody who uses it is a co-perpetrator.”

We pointed out that eWEEK staff are paid to get Facebook fans for the publication. “I would refuse such a job,” said Stallman. “I wouldn’t do it.”

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