A new lawsuit filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is targeting Meta, the parent company of Facebook, with the aim of allowing users more control over their social media experience.
The lawsuit, filed by researcher Ethan Zuckerman, seeks to challenge Meta's control over algorithmic feeds by releasing a browser extension.
Unfollow Everything 2.0
Ethan Zuckerman, a University of Massachusetts Amherst professor, is behind the lawsuit and developing a tool called Unfollow Everything 2.0.
This tool aims to empower Facebook users to effectively disable their algorithmic newsfeeds, providing a different and potentially more personalized experience on the platform.
"I'm suing Facebook to make it better. The major social media companies have too much control over what content their users see and don't see," Zukerman said in an official statement.
"We're bringing this lawsuit to give people more control over their social media experience and data and to expand knowledge about how platforms shape public discourse."
The Unfollow Everything 2.0 browser extension seeks to facilitate more effective unfollowing of friends, groups, and pages on Facebook, thereby allowing users to tailor their newsfeed experience to their preferences.
Additionally, the tool would enable users to contribute their data to Zuckerman's research study, which seeks to understand the impact of increased control over online experiences on user behavior and well-being.
However, Zuckerman's initiative isn't without precedent. In 2021, a similar tool called Unfollow Everything, developed by a UK-based developer named Louis Barclay, faced legal challenges from Meta.
Barclay received a cease-and-desist letter from Meta and ultimately chose to take down his tool to avoid potential legal action.
However, Zuckerman's Unfollow Everything 2.0 represents a renewed effort to empower users by allowing them to "effectively" unfollow everything.
Unilateral Control for Social Media Users
The lawsuit argues that social media companies like Meta should not have unilateral control over users' experiences on their platforms.
Instead, users should have the right to curate and personalize their social media interactions, including the ability to block or filter content they find objectionable or unhelpful.
Ramya Krishnan, a senior staff attorney at the Knight Institute, emphasizes that users should not be confined to the platform's default settings and content offerings.
Section 230, a provision often associated with shielding social media platforms from legal liability, is also invoked in this lawsuit to protect developers like Zuckerman, who seek to create tools that enhance user control over online experiences.
"Users don't have to accept Facebook as it's given to them. The same statute that immunizes Meta from liability for the speech of its users gives users the right to decide what they see on the platform," Krishnan said in a statement.
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