Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Facebook IT Technology

Facebook Just Forced Its Most Powerful Critics Offline (vice.com) 180

Facebook is using its vast legal muscle to silence one of its most prominent critics. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a group established last month in response to the tech giant's failure to get its actual Oversight Board up and running before the presidential election, was forced offline on Wednesday night after Facebook wrote to the internet service provider demanding the group's website -- realfacebookoversight.org -- be taken offline. From a report: The group is made up of dozens of prominent academics, activists, lawyers, and journalists whose goal is to hold Facebook accountable in the run-up to the election next month. Facebook's own Oversight Board, which was announced 13 months ago, will not meet for the first time until later this month, and won't consider any issues related to the election. In a letter sent to one of the founders of the RFOB, journalist Carole Cadwalladr, the ISP SupportNation said the website was being taken offline after Facebook complained that the site was involved in "phishing."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Facebook Just Forced Its Most Powerful Critics Offline

Comments Filter:
  • by Headw1nd ( 829599 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:21AM (#60585338)

    I can't see how this will backfire for Facebook at all. Certainly multiple news outlets won't run with this story, informing millions of people like myself of this group's existence. The group itself will not find another hosting provider, and this incident will never be brought up the next time legislators want to talk about regulating Facebook.

    Stunning work, Mark, you and your boys have done it again. Sit down, put on a copy of "The Way We Were", and relax knowing you have headed off another crisis.

  • by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:32AM (#60585388)

    Did these "prominent academics, activists, lawyers, and journalists" just decide they are going to be an oversight group to Facebook without working with them? and Give themselves a name "realfacebookoversight.org"

    Then Facebook, not really knowing about this groups, see a website, that seems to be pretending to be a facebook or government backed group without any communication, which seems to be spewing a lot of negative press about facebook isn't going to try to block it.

    Reading TFA, this seems rather unclear on how really official they are.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by mackil ( 668039 )

      Reading TFA, this seems rather unclear on how really official they are.

      They aren't "official", that's the point. They're self righteous, self appointed and certainly not non-partisan.

      • by drew_kime ( 303965 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:49AM (#60585480) Journal

        They aren't "official", that's the point. They're self righteous, self appointed and certainly not non-partisan.

        Wait, partisan? How is trying to hold Facebook to account for following their own stated positions a partisan activity? And even if they were partisan, why would that justify taking down their site?

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Can'tNot ( 5553824 )

          How is trying to hold Facebook to account for following their own stated positions a partisan activity?

          How is it partisan? I don't know, since I'm not going to read this group's output. How could it be partisan? Very easily. They just pick the bits they like, interpret those bits in a way they like, and then demand that Facebook do that.

          The justification for taking down their site is the fact that they're calling themselves the Facebook Oversight Committee, and then putting "Real" in front of that in order to make it even more confusing. If they want to be another partisan think-tank then can still do tha

          • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

            by drinkypoo ( 153816 )

            "How is it partisan? I don't know, since I'm not going to read this group's output."

            Then you have nothing useful to say about the question asked. Thanks for making that clear up front.

            "The justification for taking down their site is the fact that they're calling themselves the Facebook Oversight Committee, and then putting "Real" in front of that in order to make it even more confusing."

            Only to people who don't know what real means. Like you.

            "If they want to be another partisan think-tank then can still do

            • Oh huh. I assume you have read this group's output, and therefore have decided that you do have something useful to say... except none of that is reflected in your reply. All of your insight, and none of it matters. Maybe you shouldn't have responded either, or maybe we can just acknowledge that when someone asks a leading question, or speaks in general terms, it doesn't take special knowledge to criticize that question.

              You also claim to have special knowledge of what the word "real" means. I'm having so
      • It is Ok to be Self righteous and non-partisan. Just as long as you are honest about it.

        I know in today's political climate my political leaning is going to be left of center, about 15 years ago it use to be right of center. However today, my views are going to be more left leaning than right leaning. However, when dealing with things that are important more than some internet rant. I really try to make sure I have my facts straight and give as much of an honest view on what I see. Now if someone disagre

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by egyas ( 1364223 )

          Exactly. Partisan is fine, as long as it's clearly opinion. When Journalists offer up opinion as though it's news/fact, it's a travesty. A blight on the professions.

          Sadly, it's almost completely that way now.

          People SHOULD be taking the time, like you did, top read and learn. Something more than the headline or the soundbite. Especially if you're listening to a politician, since none of them tell the complete truth.

          The real loser in all of this is the American citizen. Even if they do take the time and

          • by Cederic ( 9623 )

            When Journalists offer up opinion as though it's news/fact, it's a travesty.

            Calling Cadwalladr a journalist is a travesty.

    • Reading TFA, this seems rather unclear on how really official they are.

      Does it matter? Since when is Facebook the arbiter of the entire internet?

      • It kinda does matter.
        Let's say I make a group called "McDonalds Health And Safety Advisory Board" I am not connected with OSHA or have any real power vs just me saying stuff. I could have some Medical Doctors in my group who agree with me. So I go on, with official looking documents, where I may point out problems with particular restaurants, some may be real violations, others are just my judgement, say the floor is too dirty, or there is a pothole in the drive thru.

        Now these restaurants who I am discre

        • by Dutch Gun ( 899105 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @12:49PM (#60585740)

          Even in your hypothetical case about slander, do you believe that McDonalds should be able to contact that group's ISP and have the site removed with no due process? That's the problem here.

          Facebook made no such legal complaint about this group. The website was taken down via a complaint to their ISP about "phishing", which is a fairly well defined illegal activity - typically the harvesting of user credentials for nefarious purposes.

          There is certainly an argument that having "real" and "Facebook" in your name constitutes some sort of trademark violation, or that their accusations amount to slander. But even if it did, the procedure for taking down such a site shouldn't be interpreted as "phishing". It should be decided in a courtroom. Facebook doesn't get to operate above the law, even if a judge decides that they were in the right.

          I'm of the opinion that unless there was some provable criminal activity going on with that site, Facebook will have some explaining to do at the next Congressional hearings.

          • They may, be able to contact the ISP and turn off that site. Now it is the ISP has a decision to Stop the site or not. Not complying with Facebook or McDonalds means that they may have a bigger fight on their hand than it is worth keeping a customer or a set of customers.

    • by znrt ( 2424692 )

      this seems to be their sole basis for accusing them of phishing:

      http://prntscr.com/uugtng [prntscr.com]

      mind blown. that's just embarrassing, the isp should be held accountable too.

      btw, it's "SupportNation is owned by Endurance International, a large U.S. company that owns multiple ISPs. Neither SupportNation nor Endurance International responded to requests for comment.". just in case anyone wants to "take down" their site there and take them to some other provider that isn't a lackey.

    • by Comboman ( 895500 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:59AM (#60585510)
      If any organization is to provide REAL OVERSIGHT to Facebook, then it must be at arms length and not associated with Facebook, thus realfacebookoversight.org does not imply any connection with Facebook. We went through this 15 or 20 years ago with the 'Sucks' websites lawsuits (paypalsucks [paypalsucks.org] , walmartsucks [walmartsucks.org] , etc). In the end, they were all found to be legal and not a violation of trademark. You must be able to identify the thing you are critiquing.
      • by alexo ( 9335 )

        If any organization is to provide REAL OVERSIGHT to Facebook, then it must be at arms length and not associated with Facebook

        I agree, and humbly suggest that job be given to the BOP [wikipedia.org].

    • Really, just having the word "facebook" or even the word "real" in your URL isn't enough to warrant accusations of pretending to be a FB official. And sorry, but FB's automated process finding the word facebook in the URL phishy isn't enough of an excuse to send out a takedown notice, automated or otherwise. But the real culprit here is the ISP who actually took down the site without checking first. Unless of course FB did a little more than just send out an automated form letter...
      • I think the parent should be modded up, but now I don't know what "real" means.

        In the context of the organization that Facebook is attacking, it seems clear that "real" is intended in the sense of "sincere" or "true" and "facebook" is clearly the target.

        From the perspective of Facebook, the "real" can be seen as an accusation of "false" against Facebook's own profit-driven posturing around "social responsibility".

        From the perspective of Trumpistan, the "real" could be a meta modifier because Facebook was to

    • that seems to be pretending to be a facebook or government backed group without any communication

      Yes and this is America so we all know the only appropriate response is to walk in, shoot everyone and then say "Hello? Who were you anyway?"

      Seriously Facebook thinking someone may have been shady doesn't excuse their actions.

  • by Z80a ( 971949 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:34AM (#60585398)

    The megacorps will just ban those people you dislike and never get greedy at all.

  • Bad Move (Score:2, Troll)

    by Sloppy ( 14984 )

    I have consistently defended Facebook against charges of "censorship" by people who don't like what Facebook does on their own computers. When you post to Facebook and they delete it or whatever, that's not censorship.

    But this is censorship. WTF!

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • by Sloppy ( 14984 )

        So what you're saying is that it's censorship only when they censor somebody you agree with, right?

        No. It's censorship when you do it to someone else, and it's not censorship when you do it to yourself. You don't need to know anything about who agrees with what; that's not a factor.

        Anything Facebook does to their own website can't be censorship, which is why I mock comrades who pretend facebook.com is "ours" instead of "theirs." But things Facebook does to your website, through force or fraud, may very well

    • When you post to Facebook and they delete it or whatever, that's not censorship.

      Censorship is exactly that. You probably meant to say, "It's not government censorship" or "it doesn't violate the first amendment," which are both true, but not the only way to censor.

  • by Zak3056 ( 69287 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:37AM (#60585428) Journal

    If you call yourself "The real Facebook Oversight Board" and you've absolutely created "confusion in the marketplace" protected by trademark, since you are absolutely NOT "the real Facebook oversight board." If you call yourself "Facebook Sucks" or "Facebook Watch" or "Facebook Problems" then you're protected by law..

    Outraged shouts to the contrary, you don't get to put yourself forward as something you're not.

    • Sure, absolutely Facebook had a right to go after them legally for the possibility of a trademark violation. However, they did not have the right to falsely accuse another website of being involved in a phishing operation. Additionally, the ISP should have investigated if there really was a phising operation happening before just yanking the site on Zuckerberg's word. It's not like he's viewed as some infallible paragon of virtue.

      • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

        Sure, absolutely Facebook had a right to go after them legally for the possibility of a trademark violation. However, they did not have the right to falsely accuse another website of being involved in a phishing operation.

        There is nothing in Facebook's cybersquatting and trademark complaint that mentions phishing. That's appears in the SupportNation abuse mitigation team email.

        Additionally, the ISP should have investigated if there really was a phising operation happening before just yanking the site on Zu

        • by sjames ( 1099 )

          So where's the phishing? Your link shows only that realfacebookoversight.org actually exists and that it re-directed to a page in the-citizens.com.

          • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

            So you ignored "There is nothing in Facebook's cybersquatting and trademark complaint that mentions phishing" and expect the link to show a phishing page?

            Do you see cybersquatting and trademark infringement? Yes? Bingo.

            • by sjames ( 1099 )

              So where is ANY wrong-doing of any kind?

              • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

                So where is ANY wrong-doing of any kind?

                Dude, I can't help you if you can't read words.

                Trademark infringement [nolo.com]
                Cybersquatting [businesslawtoday.org]

                Whether you consider that wrong-doing is irrelevant. Rule of law, not of man.

                • by sjames ( 1099 )

                  I see neither of those. This is quite similar to the court decisions several years ago that the various Xsucks where X is a trademark are NOT infringing.

                  There is a case for tortious interference against Facebook.

                  • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

                    I see neither of those.

                    Can't help you there.

                    This is quite similar to the court decisions several years ago that the various Xsucks where X is a trademark are NOT infringing.

                    Which was based upon the added work "sucks" being derogatory and therefore incapable of creating a reasonable likelihood of confusion. "Real" is the opposite. "Oversight" ranges from neutral to the opposite. There is a resonable likelihood of confusion.

                    There is a case for tortious interference against Facebook.

                    No, there isn't,

                    • by sjames ( 1099 )

                      Tortious interference has nothing to do with the ISPs legal right to terminate and everything to do with a 3rd party convincing them to do so. If you've been practicing law that long, you should know that.

                    • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

                      Tortious interference has nothing to do with the ISPs legal right to terminate and everything to do with a 3rd party convincing them to do so.

                      WRONG. [americanbar.org]

                      The defendant must have engaged in wrongful conduct that caused a breach of the contract or disruption of performance.

                      (1) Convincing them to follow a policy of termination for violation of the terms of service is not inherently wrongful. Especially when the "convincing" consisted of merely a providing a URL showing the alleged infringement.
                      (2) Termination a sub

                    • by sjames ( 1099 )

                      I'm questioning the truthfulness of the complaint.

                    • by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

                      I'm questioning the truthfulness of the complaint.

                      Oh you are? What truthfulness are you questioning? The URL that they provided? That they hold a trademark for the name "FaceBook"?

                      Or are you questioning the argument that they made to the ISP that that constituted trademark infringement and cybersquatting? In which case, how was the argument untruthful? Merely because you don't agree with it? That's not how any of this works. Something doesn't become untruthful simply because you present the objective

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • So by extension seeing how Trump only ever uses his personal twitter account rather than the official white house one, is he suddenly in fact not POTUS thanks to trademark law?

  • by WoodstockJeff ( 568111 ) on Thursday October 08, 2020 @11:46AM (#60585466) Homepage

    I thought you had to be a Attorney General of a state to be a "powerful" critic.

    After all, small players like the President and Congress have legal limitations on what they can do...

  • the fascist really are when it is right there in the open. Guess "the Zuck" and Facebook do believe in transparency.
    Just goes to show, there some who should never have power. Well! unfortunate for everyone that some do have power.
  • Come for the Russian trolls. Stay for the politicians urging facebook to silence Trump.

    Facebook, being private, can done this willingly, and it doesn't violate the first amendment. Pay no attention to the little men behind the curtain threatening section 230, or breakup of the company.

    And per my .sig, some will downmod this, even if it's the most accurate thing you will read on this subject.

  • ISPs have a social and professional responsibility to reject calls to shut down websites without independent verification and due process.

    Shame on SupportNation and their parent company Endurance International for being spineless.

    • How would you feel about realslashdotoversight.org?

      Sounds like the neighbourhood watch batshit crazy Facebook pages that are really gossip sites.

      • by sjames ( 1099 )

        Personally, just fine. I don't actually care if there is or is not actually a realslashdotoversight.com site out there. Why should I?

  • If Facebook made false claims about the group phishing, then the group should sue them for libel.

  • Of course a scumbag like Zuckerberg is going to fight dirty. The only thing I find surprising is that the Real Facebook Oversight Board didn't have a "Plan B" to get back on-line again quickly, with a minimum of drama. I can't help but think of Pirate Bay, and all the futile efforts by some of the most powerful actors in the on-line world to take that site down.

    The two situations are very different, so tactics would also be different, but both groups had to know they would find themselves in an all-out wa

  • Enough is enough. You assholes can control whatever content you want on your own gods-be-damned cancerous website, but this is just outrageous, unbelievable bullshit.
    You've gotten way, way too big for your pants, Facebook. 'Break you up'? Not good enough. 'Shut you down for good' is more like it, but with 7 digits worth of users (oh sorry wrong term I mean 'products', LOL) there'd be war over that. Facebook needs to be broken into small pieces, and sold off, and Zuckerberg and the senior execs need to be
  • Standing on a hill with floodlights and a megaphone.

    I don't have a Facebook account, never did, never will. I never heard of this oversight group and I'm willing to bet neither did others outside of the members friends and families. But Facebook has just made sure a lot of people will know about it now as well as FB's only failures on this front.

  • What but pathetic leftovers are still on Facebook?
    If FB was gone tomorrow, would you even care?

    Oh noes, my site was deletd from Geocities! The oppression! How will the constitution cope?? /s

    Still, I hope Trump bans FB/Insta/WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok etc.
    Not because I don't think that is an abuse of power, but because I DO think it is (apart from doing the world a favor), so some mutual head bashing can start between them. :D
    Cause we can sit back, and eat popcorn, while hitting two birds with one s

  • "The Real Facebook Oversight Board was QAnon all along!" Zucks!
  • by PPH ( 736903 )

    demanding the group's website -- realfacebookoversight.org -- be taken offline

    Damn! It appears that ministryoftruth.org is already taken.

    They do make a good point though. Facebook claims that it's a phishing site. Is it? Just because they might fool a few unsuspecting users into thinking that they are doing legitimate oversight? Then how does Antifa.org exist, claiming to be anti-Facist? And how did they get an .org domain if they claim not to be an organization?

  • The old site redirects here. [the-citizens.com]

  • The site: realfacebookoversight.org is readily accessible.

"The most important thing in a man is not what he knows, but what he is." -- Narciso Yepes

Working...