Facebook Voted ‘Worst Company of 2021’

Facebook’s critics come from left, right, and center.

QUICK FACTS:

• A Yahoo! Finance survey of 1,500 respondents named Facebook, recently rebranded as Meta, the clear loser.
• Though there were dozens of options to choose from, Facebook lost handily, as it received 50% more votes than the second-worst, the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.

WHY FACEBOOK IRKS PEOPLE:

• Facebook detractors appear to span the entire political spectrum.
• When asked why they voted for Facebook, many respondents cited the company’s censorship, which is a typical complaint from the right. Most notably, the company removed President Donald Trump from its platform after the events of Jan. 6.
• Others criticized the social media platform for “contributing to the rise of far-right extremism” and “failing to deal with misinformation,” both of which are common talking points from the left.
• From the center, respondents take issue with Instagram, which Facebook owns, and its effect on the mental health of young people.

BACKGROUND:

• Facebook has been in hot water for years and is no stranger to controversy, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg appearing before Congress multiple times.
• Despite the many and varied complaints against the company, users remain as active as ever on the platform.