DUBAI: Just over three-quarters of adults in the US believe Facebook is making American society worse, according to a new poll by CNN.
A total of 76 percent responded to a survey to say they felt the social network was harming society, with 11 percent saying it had a positive impact, and 13 percent claiming it made it neither better nor worse.
These results come just after Facebook’s recent rebrand as Meta, and with its public image tarnished in recent months, a fact that was amplified after ex-employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen spoke out against the company.
Even among regular Facebook users, 70 percent said that the platform is harming, rather than helping, US society.
When questioned about who or what is at fault for its negative impacts, nearly half (45 percent) said it is the way Facebook is run, while 55 percent said it is the way Facebook is used by a segment of people.
Among those who use Facebook at least several times a month, 54 percent said that the platform has suggested posts to them that they found objectionable, with that number rising to 65 percent for those under the age of 35.
Nearly half (49 percent) of Americans said they knew someone they think was persuaded to believe in a conspiracy theory because of content on the platform. Among Americans under the age of 35, that number was 61 percent compared with 35 percent of those aged 65 or older.
Haugen’s testimony to the US Senate has accelerated questions over government intervention and regulation of big tech companies. With regards to Facebook, 53 percent said the federal government should increase its regulation of the company; 35 percent said that regulation should not change, and 11 percent said it should decrease.
Negative perceptions extend to other big tech companies as well, with 66 percent saying they do not trust companies such as Google or Amazon to do what is best for their users.
