22/12/2021
From the moment Nevis was founded, we've all been working towards one goal: Making the online world a little more secure. This is the purpose of our existence and is reflected in our claim, "Making security an experience." However, this mission doesn't end at our front door but extends to our general beliefs about security and safety for body and mind. As so many do, we are constantly questioning the role of the social media channels we use when it comes to safe usage behaviours and positive interactions.
With a series of documents and public appearances, former Facebook executives and courageous whistleblowers provided further behind-the-scenes insight into the company, now called Meta, and its linked social networks.
A series of reports in the Wall Street Journal over the last few weeks show that manipulative algorithms lead to bullying, fake news, extremism, fear of missing out (FOMO), depression, anxiety disorders and rising su***de rates, especially among young people - often girls.
Further, there is overwhelming evidence that profits are prioritized over fighting misinformation, hate speech, and polarization. The company's algorithm deliberately shows users content that upsets them and is most likely to lead to interactions, which Facebook, in turn, uses to serve ads and make money.
We have no choice but to avoid platforms that harm our customers and their families.
As of December 20, we are no longer active on Facebook. Our policy also applies to Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp and TikTok. And we will continue to do so until these platforms offer a safe environment for their users.
Of course, we want to get in touch with our customers as directly as possible and use the latest communication tools to do so. However, we expect the platforms to:
- Protect their users - especially children and young people - from harassment, harm and manipulation.
- Not use manipulative algorithms that confront their users with harmful content, disinformation or extreme viewpoints to gain more clicks and higher ad profits.
- Provide their services clearly and transparently.