THENEWYORKTIMESBOOKREVIEWEDITORS’CHOICE-Byanaward-winningtechnologyreporterforTheWallStreetJournal,abehind-the-sceneslookatthemanipulativetacticsFacebookusedtogrowitsbusiness,howitdistortedthewayweconnectonline,andthecompanyinsiderswhofoundthecouragetospeakout“BrokenCodefilletsFacebook’sstrategicfailurestoaddressitspartinthespreadofdisinformation,politicalfracturingandevengenocide.Thebookisstuffedwitheye-popping,sometimesOrwellianstatisticsandanecdotesthatcouldhavecomeonlyfromtheinside.“--NewYorkTimesBookReviewOncetheunrivaledtitanofsocialmedia,Facebookheldasingularplaceincultureandpolitics.AlongwithitssisterplatformsInstagramandWhatsApp,itwasadailydestinationforbillionsofusersaroundtheworld.Insideandoutsidethecompany,Facebookextolleditsproductsasbringingpeopleclosertogetherandgivingthemvoice.Butinthewakeofthe2016election,evensomeofthecompany’sownseniorexecutivescametoconsiderthoseclaimspollyannaishandsimplistic.AsasuccessionofscandalsrockedFacebook,they--andtheworld--hadtoaskwhetherthecompanycouldcontrol,orevenunderstood,itsownplatforms.Facebookemployeessettoworkinpursuitofanswers.Theydiscoveredproblemsthatranfardeeperthanpolitics.Facebookwaspeddlingandamplifyinganger,lookingtheotherwayathumantrafficking,enablingdrugcartelsandauthoritarians,allowingVIPuserstobreaktheplatform’ssupposedlyinviolablerules.Theyevenraisedconcernsaboutwhethertheproductwassafeforteens.Facebookwasdistortingbehaviorinwaysnooneinsideoroutsidethecompanyunderstood.Enduringpersonaltraumaandprofessionalsetbacks,employeessuccessfullyidentifiedtherootcausesofFacebook’sviralharmsanddrewupconcreteplanstoaddressthem.Butthecostsoffixingtheplatform--oftenmeasuredintenthsofapercentofuserengagement--werehigherthanFacebook’sleadershipwaswillingtopay.Withtheirworkconsistentlydelayed,watereddown,orstifled,thosewhobestunderstoodFacebook’sdamagingeffectonuserswereleftwithachoice:tokeepsilentorgoagainsttheiremployer.BrokenCodetellsthestoryoftheseemployeesandtheirexplosivediscoveries.Expandingon“TheFacebookFiles,“hisblockbuster,award-winningseriesforTheWallStreetJournal,reporterJeffHorwitzlaysoutinsoberingdetailnotjustthearchitectureofFacebook’sfailures,butwhatthecompanyknew(andoftendisregarded)aboutitssocietalimpact.In2021,thecompanywouldrebranditselfMeta,promotingatechno-utopianwonderland.ButasBrokenCodeshows,theproblemsspawnedaroundtheglobebysocialmediacan’tberesolvedbystrappingonaheadset.
