
Facebook will hold emergency meeting to let employees ask questions about CA - lnguyen
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17142074/facebook-employee-meeting-cambridge-analytica
======
jyrkesh
> The meeting, which is scheduled for 10AM PT, will be led by Paul Grewal, the
> company’s deputy general counsel. Grewal is expected to explain the
> background of the case, which involves the user profiles of as many as 50
> million people being used by Cambridge Analytica as part of its ad targeting
> efforts during the 2016 election. Grewal is also expected to take questions
> via a polling feature found on the meeting’s internal event page.

Why is being run by the head of their general counsel? Because this isn't
about addressing employees' concerns or addressing the issue. It's about
making sure that everyone at the company has a shared understanding of
Facebook's legal stance on CA.

In a more pessimistic light, that might include an understanding of what FB
will do to you as an employee if you publicly disagree with their narrative.

------
common_
> The meeting, which is scheduled for 10AM PT, will be led by Paul Grewal, the
> company’s deputy general counsel.

What? Paul Grewal was a judge who presided over Facebook court cases. How is
_that_ legal?

~~~
danso
Apparently he recused himself from FB trials during the time that FB was
interested in hiring him in 2016:
[https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/13/facebook-hires-u-s-
magis...](https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/13/facebook-hires-u-s-magistrate-
judge-paul-grewal/)

~~~
whamlastxmas
For a single month, he was in that position for six years prior though. Not
necessarily wrong but it doesn't look great. Probably a normal level of
revolving door though.

------
jasonlfunk
It's still a little unclear to me what Facebook did wrong here. (Besides
suspending the whistleblowers account, which seems like a dumb move.)

Is it that they collect too much data? We've known that they been doing that
for years.

Is it that they allow apps to read not only your data but your friends data?
That's not a surprise either.

So some company somewhere figured out a way to abuse these already known parts
of Facebook in a way that already violates the their ToS.

What should/could they have reasonably done differently that didn't require
changing their entire business model?

~~~
gtufano
At least here in Italy/Europe, beside the "tech bubble", people is vaguely
aware that FB is collecting information about them but they are sure "there is
nothing they can do with my data beside showing me some silly ad". The
discovery that data can be used to actually affect their life has been a
shock.

Yes I know, like you, that there is nothing new in the "discovery" but it
seems that it's not what people perceive. And this is a significant fact,
whatever we think about it.

~~~
mnm1
This is not at all unique to Italy/Europe. Americans have the same attitude as
I'm sure many others do. People simply cannot think abstractly enough or far
enough ahead (depending on how you want to look at it) to make sense of their
world and protect themselves. Or won't. I don't know which, but this failure
is hardly unique and encompasses most of most people's lives.

------
shaggyfrog
Does anyone really believe that FB wants to figure out what went wrong? For
some reason, I imagine it playing out like the "Top Men" scene from Indiana
Jones.

~~~
anigbrowl
Zuck will put on the Hoodie of Credibility and promise a Full Investigation.
Sheryl will invite others to Lean In. Staff will nervously finger their stock
options and ponder their vesting schedules.

Having said that I don't really want them to fix it so I'm being a touch
cynical.

~~~
mandeepj
> I don't really want them to fix it

Any particular reason for saying so?

~~~
avoidit
Not the GP, but I too feel like if they actually fix it, then there is less
chance of catching the other equally culpable actors who now seem to think
they have gone above the law (AmaGooFaceSoft). Or worse, actually emboldening
them to continue their mad rush to collect every piece of information they can
about you.

If FB actually faces complete implosion, their employees are more likely to
rat out on the practices of the other companies based on nothing more than
having worked at the other company too (after all, when one tech giant hires
someone, they are more likely to be hired by a competing tech giant).

------
Animats
And if you ask a question, your name will be taken down.

~~~
jrs235
"How can I properly toe the line and be the ideal obedient FB employee?"

------
forgottenpass
What's the over/under on any asking "Are we the baddies?"

------
1throwaway123
The first sign of a sinking ship is information starts leaking. Thats what
seems to be happening with facebook.

~~~
majewsky
By that measure, Apple has been a sinking ship for over a decade.

