39% think Facebook is irresponsible

Facebook is the world’s largest social network, but many Americans don’t consider it a responsible company, according to a recent Digital Citizens Alliance survey.

The survey of 925 Americans, conducted March 15-20, found 39% believed Facebook was “not a responsible company” since it prioritized generating profits over doing “the right thing.” Another 30% were unsure. The survey also found 61% of respondents believed that “Facebook has damaged American politics and made it more negative by enabling manipulation and falsehoods that polarize people.”

Last year, Facebook was implicated in spreading fake news articles — some of which were promoted by Russian agencies — to millions of users during the 2016 election.

Recently, it was revealed that Facebook’s lax app policies resulted in the data of about 50 million people being harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a data firm hired by the Trump campaign. That resulted in a fierce public backlash, and now the Federal Trade Commission is investigating the company’s privacy practices.

Facebook stated that it would change its policies to counter these breaches of trust, but it’s unclear if it can regain users’ confidence.

Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Facebook.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.