Prof’s Case vs. Meta Wants FB Users To Control Feeds

Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don’t see — on their feeds?

An Amherst professor wants to release a tool that enables users to unfollow all the content fed to them by Facebook’s algorithm.

A lawsuit filed against Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. argues that a federal law often used to shield internet companies from liability also allows people to use external tools to take control of their feed — even if that means shutting it off entirely, reported Barbara Ortutay for the Associated Press (AP).

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed a lawsuit against Meta on behalf of an Amherst professor who wants to release a tool that enables users to unfollow all the content fed to them by Facebook’s algorithm.

The tool, called Unfollow Everything 2.0, is a browser extension that would let Facebook users unfollow friends, groups, and pages and empty their newsfeed — the stream of posts, photos, and videos that can keep them scrolling endlessly.

The lawsuit aims to challenge Facebook’s control over user experience and encourage greater user autonomy online.