Facebook’s Dark Pattern Design, Public Relations and Internal Work Culture

Abstract

Facebook inc. (now Meta Platforms) has been a target of several accusations regarding privacy issues, dark pattern design, spreading of disinformation and polarizing its users. Based on several leaked documents, the company’s public relations have often contradicted with its internal discussions and research. This study examines these issues by analyzing the leaked documents and published news articles. It outlines the dark patterns that the company has applied to their platform’s functionality, and discusses how they promote toxic behavior, hate speech and disinformation to flourish on the platform. The study also discusses some of the discrepancies between Facebook inc.’s public relations and internal work culture and discussions.

Keywords

• social media
• critical algorithm studies
• dark pattern design
• hate speech
• disinformation