Browsing by Subject "Facebook"

Tässä tutkielmassa analysoidaan Syyrian regiimin kannattajien Facebook-sivuja ja -ryhmiä, niissä julkaistua materiaalia, sekä käyttäjien vuorovaikutusta vuoden 2019 heinäkuusta syyskuuhun. Tutkielmassa kysytään, miten Syyrian regiimin kannattajat käyttävät Facebookia identiteetin ja yhteisöllisyyden diskursiiviseen tuottamiseen, merkityksellistävät sodan vaikeita kokemuksia, ja legitimoivat Syyrian regiimiä erityisesti itsen ja toisen representaatioiden kollektiivisen tuottamisen kautta. Tutkielma pyrkii arabiankieliseen lähdemateriaaliin perustuvana tapaustutkimuksena ja diskurssianalyysina tarkastelemaan aikaisemmin hyvin vähän tutkittua demografiaa – Syyrian regiimiä kannattavia syyrialaisia – ja heidän kokemustaan sodasta. Analyysi rakentuu useamman pääteeman ympärille. Tutkimuksessa pohditaan Assadien perheen ja Syyrian armeijan roolia nationalistisina symboleina ja analysoidaan marttyyrien ja haavoittuneiden asemaa internetissä tapahtuvissa yhteisöllisyyden performansseissa. Toiseuden rakentaminen terrorismina, ja uskonnon rooli regiimin kannattajien maailmassa muodostavat toisen tulkinnallisen akselin, minkä lisäksi analysoidaan sitä, kuinka ’virallinen’ Syyria asemoidaan suhteessa kansainväliseen yhteisöön ja miten sodan traumaa kompensoidaan toisaalta tuottamalla kuva normaalista ja toimivasta yhteiskunnasta, ja kuinka toisaalta yhteisöllisyyttä rakennetaan idyllisen menneisyyden kollektiivisen muistelun kautta. Tämän lisäksi työssä pohditaan, mikä Facebookin merkitys Syyrialaisille regiimin kannattajille on laajemmin, ja mitä eri käyttötarkoituksia se käytännössä palvelee. Tutkielman löydösten perusteella kysytään, onko sektarianismiin perustuvia selitysmalleja kenties sovellettu Syyrian sotaan turhan kritiikittömästi, todetaan, että Syyrian regiimi ja sen kannattajat käyvät tärkeässä mielessä ’eri sotaa’ kuin aseistettu oppositio, ja korostetaan Syyrian regiimin kannattajien merkitysmaailmaan kohdistuvan tutkimuksen tärkeyttä. Lisäksi pohditaan Facebookin ominaisuuksia erilaisten sosiaalisten prosessien mahdollistajana ja sitä, miten Facebookin erityispiirteet muovaavat alustalla tapahtuvaa vuorovaikutusta.

The purpose of the thesis is to assess the compatibility of the business model of providing free online services in exchange for processing of the personal data for advertising purposes, in particular for the Online Behavioural Advertising purpose, with the GDPR. Online Behavioural Advertising is a main way through which the free online services are funded. At the same time large-scale personal data collection and intrusive profiling, the controllers engage into pose significant risks for the rights of the data subjects. Empirical findings show that the companies using such business model oftentimes collect large amount of personal data in violation of GDPR. In addition, the researchers highlight the power asymmetries between the large online platform and the data subjects. Therefore, whether such a business model is compatible with the GDPR from legal perspective is of a particular importance. The first part of the thesis focuses on the lawfulness of the existing data collection practices in the context of the business model in question. The second part of the thesis discusses the profiling and data sharing in the context of such model and the third part focuses on the principles of the data protection by design and by default. The mentioned legal provisions are analysed with the focus on their compatibility with the business model in question. The research found that the business model seems to be compatible with the GDPR in a sense that it is in principle possible to comply with its requirements for the controllers. Such a compliance however would likely lead to a decrease in revenue for the controllers who relied on unsuitable legal basis or who manipulated users into giving away more PD. At the same time such a compliance still would not give the effective protection to the data subjects’ rights due to the lack of more explicit, precise and specific rules in GDPR.

Data privacy came to the forefront of public consciousness in March 2018, with the revelation that the data of upwards of 87 million accounts was misused due to a lack of privacy protections. Furthermore, the release of confidential court documents detailing years of anticompetitive conduct by Facebook, largely helped by the amount of data it has access to, through ways that many are beginning to characterise as immoral. The intersection of data privacy and competition law is a relatively new issue, but one that will have a significant impact in the coming years. Investigations into Facebook’s conduct by the United States and the European Union will determine if the social media giant, and by extension, any other companies that collect large amounts of data, will adjust or maintain its data-gathering practices.

Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan viiden puolueen (Keskusta, Kokoomus, SDP, Perussuomalaiset ja Vasemmistoliitto) työvoimapolitiikkaan liittyvää Facebook-viestintää vuoden 2019 eduskuntavaalien alla. Tavoitteena on selvittää, millaisia metaforisia ilmauksia puolueiden Facebook-tilapäivityksissä on, ja kuinka niiden kautta työvoimapolitiikasta puhutaan. Analysoimalla poliittista retoriikkaa ja metaforien käyttöä voidaan tehdä näkyväksi, millaista sosiaalista todellisuutta ne rakentavat. Aineisto on muodostettu yhteensä 136 Facebook -tilapäivityksestä, jotka ajoittuvat aikavälille 1.1.–14.4.2019. Aineiston analyysimenetelmänä on käytetty retorista analyysia hyödyntäen retorisen diskurssianalyysin ja metafora-analyysien elementtejä. Metaforisten ilmausten tunnistamisessa on käytetty MIP (metaphor identification procedure) -metodia. Puolueiden tilapäivityksistä on hahmotettavissa neljä keskeistä metaforaluokkaa, joiden kautta puolueet kuvaavat työvoimapolitiikkaa ja sen osa-alueita: hoivan- ja huolenpidon metaforat, rakentamismetaforat, voimankäytön metaforat ja matkanteon metaforat. Hoivan ja huolenpidon metaforiin sisältyi ilmaisut, jotka kirjaimellisesti tarkoittivat sairautta, vammoja, hoivaa tai huolenpitoa. Rakentamismetaforiin liittyivät tekniset ilmaisut, jotka tarkoittavat jonkin fyysisen objektin rakentamista, korjaamista tai remontoimista kuin myös abstraktimmat ilmaisut kuten luominen. Voimankäytön metaforiin sisältyi voimankäyttöön, sotaan sekä kamppailuun liittyvät metaforiset ilmaukset. Matkanteonmetaforiin lukeutui matkantekoon viittaavien ilmaisujen lisäksi erilaiset kulkuneuvoja, polkuja tai suuntia tarkoittavat ilmaisut. Tutkielmalla avataan ymmärrystä siitä, kuinka puolueet puhuivat työvoimapolitiikasta Facebookissa keväällä 2019. Tulokset osoittavat, että työttömyys koetaan yhteiskuntaa ja yksilöä vahingoittavaksi ilmiöksi ja puolueiden jaettu tavoite on työllisyyden kasvattaminen sekä työelämää ja työllistymistä tukevien palveluiden kehittäminen. Työttömistä henkilöistä huolehtiminen ja työllistymistä lisäävien keinojen ja mahdollisuuksien lisääminen nähtiin ensisijaisesti yhteiskunnan vastuuna. Tämän lisäksi näkyväksi tulivat yhtäältä opposition kritiikki istuvan hallituksen työvoimapolitiikkaa kohtaan ja toisaalta hallituspuolueiden nimeämät saavutukset kuluneella kaudella.

Data is the fuel of the digital economy and has become vital for innovation and consumer targeting. Data use is therefore also becoming a central factor for the competitiveness of markets. The increased processing of personal data has prompted a response from the EU legislators to improve the right of individuals to control their data through data protection rules. Now, it has been called for considering the of role competition law in striking down market conduct that reduces the users’ privacy. The question has been brought up in the Facebook case by the German Federal Cartel Office, and has accordingly become an issue EU competition law cannot ignore. Therefore, this thesis will examine to what extent the imposition of user terms that are disadvantageous to the end user’s privacy or breach of data protection rules can be considered an abuse of dominance under competition law. This will be done through a critical analysis of the Facebook decision, and an examination of the possibilities for similar conduct to be considered abusive according to Article 102 TFEU. Chapter 2 explains central factual and economic concepts that contribute to understanding how competition works in data-driven markets. First, Big Data is defined based on its central characteristics. This establishes data’s importance for digital markets. Secondly, economic concepts such as network effect, switching costs and economies of scale that typically occur in these markets, are examined. Finally, the chapter presents the legal notion of abuse of dominance under German and EU competition law, and the general concept of data protection law in the EU. This provides the foundation for the further analysis. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the Facebook decision and proceeds with a critical analysis. The Federal Cartel Office found Facebook’s data processing policy to violate data protection rules and to constitute an abuse of a dominant position. Members of the social networking platform had to agree to the collecting of data from outside of Facebook and merging it with the user profile. In particular, two aspects of the decision call for examination. First, the geographical scope of Facebook was found to be national, which means that German, and not EU, competition law was to be applied. Ensuring the national competition authority to be competent to investigate the case, this thesis questions whether the scope should have been wider. Secondly, relying on a breach of data protection law to establish an abuse is novel. As the case law on exploitative abuses is limited, a critical evaluation is done of the reasoning to assess the decision’s value in this regard. Chapter 4 examines the possibility for the imposition of contractual terms that decrease the user’s privacy to constitute an abuse of dominant position under Article 102 TFEU. This is done through first drawing up guidelines based on the relevant case law on exploitative abuses, which identifies a proportionality test for unfair trading terms. Further, the possibilities for relying on the breach of other legal provisions, in particular data protection rules, in the abuse analysis is explored. The analysis concludes that such practices can constitute unfair trading conditions and therefore be an abuse of dominance. However, the analysis heavily relies on the facts of the case where the objects and benefits of contract terms imposing data processing is central in the assessment of proportionality. The second part of the chapter considers potential issues of applying competition law parallel with data protection law. Especially, it focuses on how the principles of ne bis in idem and rule of law can be safeguarded. Chapter 5 explores the intersection between competition, consumer and data protection law and asks if competition law is a suitable tool to pursue data protection goals. The similarities and differences between the three legal fields are considered, as well as experiences with conduct similar to that of Facebook in Germany in other jurisdictions. The thesis then considers the role of EU competition law de lege ferenda for such behaviour. It is argued that a holistic approach to violations of data protection rights or similar reduction of privacy through contractual terms is necessary, and that competition law should not distance itself from these issues. It is concluded that competition law can play an important role, but it must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis whether competition law is the suitable legal tool for intervention. The thesis concludes that practices similar to that of Facebook can be considered to constitute an abuse of dominance under Article 102 TFEU. However, caution must be exercised based on the facts, to determine whether it should be applied in the case at hand. This way, competition law can contribute to creating a holistic approach to the issues arising in the market due to data protection issues.

This thesis studies Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s discourse on connectivity in the context of Free Basics. As a specific focus, this paper looks at a Facebook connectivity initiative called Internet.org. The initiative was launched in 2013 and it aims at connecting all of the world’s population to the internet. As a part of Internet.org, Facebook developed a smartphone application called Free Basics. As mobile data can be costly in many less developed countries, Free Basics provides free internet access to a limited number of websites. These usually include categories such as Facebook, news sites, job listings, weather and health information. As of 2018, the application was active in over fifty countries around Asia, Africa and Latin America. The method used for analysing the data set is framing analysis. The data, which consists of 54 text documents published between 2013 and 2018, is collected from a single source, an American database called The Zuckerberg Files. This thesis finds that Zuckerberg frames connectivity and Free Basics in three different ways. The first frame, Free Basics as altruistic philanthropy, shows how Zuckerberg focuses on downplaying any possible business benefits that Facebook might have from Free Basics. He stresses the charitable nature of the connectivity initiative and claims that Facebook simply acts on the deep belief for their mission: connecting everyone in the world. The only possible economic profit, according to Zuckerberg, could be for the partnering telecommunications companies. The second frame, Free Basics for universal benefits, displays Facebook’s global outlook on the connectivity issue. In this discourse, Zuckerberg imagines Free Basics as an all-encompassing solution for the five billion people who are currently unconnected. He also argues for universal benefits from increased connectivity by referring to the “global knowledge economy”, where even the already connected people can gain from the new ideas that can now be shared through the internet. The third and last frame, Free Basics accelerating development, looks at Zuckerberg’s statements on how Free Basics can help people in developing countries improve their lives. In comparison to the second frame, here Zuckerberg uses individual people’s stories to give examples on all the areas Free Basics can be helpful in. These stories tie into themes of development, such as health and education, and Zuckerberg frames Free Basics and connectivity as simple, first-step fixes to a variety of issues. In conclusion, the results of this study seem to be in line with the previous studies on Zuckerberg’s discourse. Many elements discussed in the literature also occurred in my data: Facebook’s desire to appear neutral, the debate on net neutrality as well as the giant technology companies and their profound belief in technological determinism in development have been widely discussed earlier. By critically studying Zuckerberg’s argumentation, we gain a better understanding of the company’s actions and motives. This research is valuable because it uses a unique data set to provide an outlook to the way in which Zuckerberg frames Free Basics, as well as connectivity in general.