What is C(orporate) S(ocial) R(esponsibility)

[notimp]

Here in the case of Facebook (the Instagram company).

Facebook in 2018 hired Yael Eisenstat, a geopolitical and global security consultant, who also had been a C.I.A analyst, and a special adviser on national security to Vice President Joe Biden as a Head of Global Elections Integrity Ops, as a part of their business integrity division, to lead the company effort against organized voting manipulation. Then changed her job purpose on the second day on the job. Instead of "giving her the ability to build her own department" she now says, she felt singled out without even the opportunity to do her intended job.

I'll translate a news article on the fly, then link the original Wired Interview.

Eisenstat doesnt think that her employment was intended as a PR-stunt, but describes it as "the most puzzling professional experience in her life". She says, that she was sidelined on purpose. She was refused access to meetings about measures against the manipulation of the midterm elections 2018, even though she was supposed to lead the meetings at one time.

Concerning the actual measures to prevent voting fraud Facebook then decided to do the "absolute minimum they could get away with". As she tried to push forward on the topic a little more, her demands fell on dead ears. Especially concerning foreign influence there would have been a few easy to implement additional measures, that werent taken.

The ex-manager also criticised the business model of Facebook. It would count on the "worst elements" of human psyche und would try to keep them active on the platform. Exaggerated headlines, and emotionaly activating content would work very well for that purpose, but also produce a stronger polarization that unrelated actors could use for their purposes.

Facebook would collect a veritable amount of data, and knows more about users than secret services like the C.I.A.. The relationship to their users she described as parasitic in nature.

src: https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-knows-more-about-you-than-cia/

Now. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the part where you, as a company act as if you care - and would want to change any of that.

Most of the time it is seen and financed as marketing/PR expenditure.

Well - another thing you learned today. Isn't that great.

(Dont forget to follow your favorite companies and brands on facebook, instagram and twitter.)

 

[IncredulousP]

Quit Facebook many years, am sad that many people I know still use it. Hell, most of my friends do. Truly sad.

 

[notimp]

Uh. An even better example came along.

At the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the rule is sacrosanct: Never publicly disclose client advice. And for the most part, adherence to that rule has served the company well.
But in recent months, as government officials seek to assign blame for the opioid crisis that has strangled large parts of the nation, McKinsey’s advice is surfacing in ways that are deeply embarrassing for the influential firm, whose clients include many of the world’s most admired companies. One lawsuit stated that McKinsey advised a pharmaceutical company to “get more patients on higher doses of opioids” and study techniques “for keeping patients on opioids longer.”

src: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/business/mckinsey-johnson-and-johnson-opioids.html

Wait whaaaaaat?!

McKinseys is kind of the top consulting firm in the world - in many ways, maybe the top consulting firm still. They advise governments. Regularly.

Lets see this not having any reputation impact at all - because literally no one cares about average people.