Social media but no social responsibility

Whatever happens in the coming months, it is unlikely Facebook bosses will look back on 2018 as a vintage year. The social media giant has stumbled from one scandal to another and pressure is growing on the company to increase its transparency.

Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg received a verbal pasting during appearances in front of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The billionaire entrepreneur has struggled to adequately explain how the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica was able to harvest the personal data of up to 87 million users without their permission.

Zuckerberg said he was sorry. He even said his own data was handed over.

However, the show of contrition has not been enough to throw off the critics, with every aspect of Facebook’s operation now coming under intense scrutiny.

Financial expert Martin Lewis has revealed he is out to give the company “a bloody nose” amid claims Facebook has published more than 50 bogus adverts using his name.

Now a probe by this newspaper reveals scammers have been able to manipulate the site’s algorithms to infiltrate Dundee’s drug and recovery communities.

Zuckerberg may be one of the world’s richest and most successful businessmen but he would do well to remember – with great power comes great responsibility.