I am quite sure that if I were to ask who is Mark Zuckerberg, quite a few would not answer the question. Perhaps, after Cambridge Analytica more would be able to give a reply though.

On the other hand, if I were to ask the question ‘What is Facebook?’ many, almost everyone, would give me some sort of a decent answer.

These two subjects are extremely connected. The second would not have existed without the first. Perhaps, some would also claim that they would not be able to exist without Facebook. 

Facebook has become a popular tool. Like anything else, there are people who would be prepared to abuse a popular tool.

Over the recent past many have started a discussion about ‘hate speech’. Others have tried to justify this, through ‘freedom of expression’. However, I believe that the term freedom of expression has to be restricted to ‘responsible freedom of expression’.

Those reading the information which we all write in different fora are not, necessarily, as well informed (about the subject being addressed) as those who are writing.

As a result, people may be misinformed by those writing about particular subjects. When those reading are not as informed as those writing, it becomes rather easy to misinform. However, this brings me to the other issue.

Everyone may, through genuine mistakes, or through some careless action, misinform those reading. The real problem results when people, purposely present outright lies as facts. This becomes an even bigger problem when those involved in this misinformation are those who are themselves responsible for the pages on which the misinformation is published... the famous administrators.

The tendency of abusing the tool, originally intended as a quick, easy and cheap communications tool, has grown faster worldwide. Yet it has, perhaps, grown even faster, in Malta

Administrators have their own agenda, and the unfortunate thing is that they can allow or delete whatever comments are written, as they please. I am aware of administrators who are prompt to remove comments in favour of someone, while the same administrators are only too happy to keep any remarks which are negative about the very same persons.

Besides that, there are others who, in tandem with the administrators, keep posting negative comments, knowing their comments will not be removed. This is something which has to be addressed. 

I remember quite vividly a Facebook representative who addressed us in a meeting at the Italian Parliament. From what was said by this lady, it appeared that Facebook follows all the posts, worldwide, and they have the tools to understand particular patterns of the different posts being put on the internet.

This implies that they can actually understand the patterns that are applied by those posting, and those controlling the posts.

In Malta, this could possibly be easier to do.

A few members of a group, aided by the administrator, could end up influencing all the other members of the group, intentionally.

Besides the normal profiles, there are a number of people who use fake profiles. I am sure that Facebook itself has the ability to identify these profiles, especially, when they act in tandem with each other, and when they tend ‘to like’ and ‘to share’ themselves on a variety of subjects.

The tendency of abusing the tool, which was originally intended as a quick, easy and cheap communications tool, has grown faster worldwide. Yet it has, perhaps, grown even faster, in Malta.

We all know how difficult it is to follow whatever is posted, especially when those posting ‘block’ you. This implies that for any action to be taken by those who are being attacked, they would have to rely on information (not always easily provided), by other people who are not ‘blocked’.

Blocking people is itself an abuse when the intention is that of attacking them through your posts. I firmly believe in ‘freedom of expression’. Yet, I am totally against abusing this freedom, and the abusive use of Facebook, in order to attack other people. 

Those who abuse this tool in this way are themselves irresponsible.

Yet, those administrators who support them in their acts are very bluntly cheating the members of their groups.

Ċensu Galea is a former Nationalist Party minister.