Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 06

December 2018/January 2019// Canadian Government Executive / 41 Governing Digitally Facebook investor Roger McNamee, have called for a total reinvention of the com- pany’s business model, urging a fix for Facebook “before it fixes us.” Zuckerberg’s laudable response was to pledge to do just that, making remedial action his 2018 mission. He has appeared before U.S. and European politicians (claiming to welcome regulation), hired thousands of new security staff, and agreed to create independent monitor- ing of Facebook’s content censorship – a near impossible balance of freedom of expression and preserving the sanity and “health” of online users, to quote Twit- ter’s Jack Dorsey. Nonetheless, the Facebook mantra has long been to “move fast and break things,” and some fear that along the way it may have broken democracy itself. In classic political grandstanding, NDP MP Charlie Angus labeled the absent Zuck- erberg “a frat boy billionaire.” Angus was one of three Canadian MP’s in a unique and promising group of law makers from nine countries that came together to sign a non-binding set of International Princi- ples for the Law Governing the Internet. Notwithstanding his grudging and lim- ited openness in recent months, Zuck- erberg’s tendencies are to hunker down and devise ways to preserve and expand Facebook’s lucrative advertising model while addressing (albeit defensively and grudgingly) societal and governmen- tal concerns. The company is looking to artificial intelligence to help patrol its platforms, while investing in more pol- icy-minded election integrity efforts in numerous countries (including Canada). Such efforts are bound to fall short for two reasons. First, it is simply not possi- ble for Facebook to satisfy the insatiable thirst of shareholders for growth and profitability while also investing in costly new defensive capacities. And secondly, Facebook is itself a decidedly undemo- cratic organization. Both challenges intersect around Zuckerberg, who has made it clear to shareholders (including himself) that near-term investments will lessen profit- Notwithstanding his grudging and limited openness in recent months, Zuckerberg’s tendencies are to hunker down and devise ways to preserve and expand Facebook’s lucrative advertising model while addressing (albeit defensively and grudgingly) societal and governmental concerns. ability. The stock price plummeted by a third in 2018, but for the historical-mind- ed Facebook leader (reportedly a student of Chinese leaders and their grand mas- ter plans) such fluctuations matter less than achieving long-term dominance. As social and political concerns mount, however, shareholders and stakehold- ers are becoming restless about the unfettered power of one individual (as is known to happen from time to time within Canada’s Parliamentary model…). Investors and outside groups of different sorts are now calling for Zuckerberg to, at the very least, relinquish his role as board chairman (with board directors widely criticized for failing to provide meaning- ful oversight). Within the company too, there are re- ports of Zuckerberg acting more authori- tatively – a view seemingly underscored by numerous executive departures. As has been evident at neighboring Google, highly educated and mobile workers de- mand a voice. Otherwise, they leave. Up until two years ago, Facebook was widely viewed as inclusive and transformational, whereas the workplace today is a toxic mix of negative headlines and crisis re- sponse. Such are the growing pains of a dis- ruptive force maturing into a blue-chip enterprise with heightened expectations and pressures stemming from its tre- mendous reach. Yet if the company is to play a meaningful and constructive role in reshaping public institutions, much depends on values and actions at home. Ironically enough, Facebook’s fortunes may well rest on its founder’s willingness to embrace a bit more democracy. J effrey R oy is professor in the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University (roy@dal.ca) .