[governance] Facebook Does Mind Control

[Norbert Bollow]

Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch> wrote:
> Daniel Kalchev <daniel at digsys.bg> wrote:
> > There is nothing particular we need to do about it. It will sort
> > out itself just like any other human society "problem" before that.
> 
> Some issues need governance action. Others don't.
> 
> > Just as with having had already certain diseases as child makes you 
> > immune to the same diseases later, so will happen with this
> > "Facebook mind control".
> [..]
> > Sharing knowledge and good practice is how it will all be "solved".
> 
> In regard to this particular issue, this view that no governance
> action is needed sounds plausible enough to me.   

Upon further reflection, the conclusion that no governance action is
needed (because social phenomena --like outrage, fear of being
manipulated by a machine, and the resulting decline of willingness of
people to use websites that use “mind control” techniques-- will address
the issue more effectively than any governance action could) is valid
only in regard to *known* uses of “mind control” techniques.

In view of the outrage, any further research projects in this direction
are likely to be classified. Also we don't know how far classified
research in this direction may have advanced already. Actually we don't
know whether secret capabilities to significantly influence the mood of
a country's population (e.g. in relation to an election) might in fact
already exist.

I'm now coming to the conclusion that some kind of action on this might
be needed after all. Maybe some kind of research program aimed at
developing tools that can be used both by cyberdefense institutions as
well as by the general public to try to detect any use of “mind
control” techniques that might be happening.

Greetings,
Norbert

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