The Internet is a reflection of us, and we don’t like what we see

We love to hate social media and search because they’re an uncomfortable mirror of our culture.

Another day, another public relations disaster for Silicon Valley. Whether they’re selling highly targeted ads to hate groups, allowing Russian hackers to pose as angry Muslims, or spreading misinformation after a mass shooting, the refrain is the same:

“Google and Facebook, you have a responsibility to filter the Internet.”

The problem, of course, is that Google and Facebook aren’t really filtering companies, and they definitely aren’t journalism companies. They’re advertising companies, and their goal is not to shape the world — but simply to reflect it and then sell ads to people looking at that reflection.

Facebook is full of misinformation and conspiracy theories because humans love disseminating misinformation and subscribing to conspiracy theories. Facebook’s mission isn’t to create a better world — it’s simply to augment the world that already exists by making communication easier. That includes the good parts of life — like event invitations and vacation photos — and the horrible stuff too.