Zuckerberg’s epistle
At the age of 33, Jesus Christ was a figure of scorn.
A little more than three years from the beginning of his public ministry, the following he had built had all but deserted him. His mission to establish a global community under the loving rule of God seemed to be a sad joke. He was crucified, dead and buried.
A little more than a decade from Facebook’s conception, at the age of 32, Mark Zuckerberg is known around the world. The network he established has grown to an incredible 1.86 billion active monthly users. 1.15 billion mobile users log on each day and five new profiles are created every second. The stats are impressive. With the average user logging on for 20 minutes each day, the world’s commitment to Zuckerberg’s cause is evident.
Global community
But what is his cause? This question has sometimes seemed hard to fathom, even as his power has grown. In this regard his missive of 16 February to the ‘Facebook community’ makes for fascinating reading. This is Zuckerberg’s ‘Epistle to the Network’, a living word from one of the Internet’s apostles. For the benefit of hurried readers the version published online highlights the mission statement in bold:
‘In times like these, the most important thing we at Facebook can do is develop the social infrastructure to give people the power to build a global community that works for all of us.’
So there you have it, Zuckerberg’s cause. It sounds pretty generic; tech-jargon-speak for something as uncontroversial as building an online network. And yet it has got quite a few commentators hot under the collar. Why is that?
Envied by governments
The first worry is Zuckerberg’s power. His network has given him the kind of worldwide influence that leaders of government rarely achieve and even more rarely sustain. When you consider Facebook’s reach and the data at its fingertips, this is a cause for concern (and perhaps, for politicians, a little envy!). A recent Cambridge University study showed that, from just ten likes, software was able to predict a participant’s personality more accurately than a work colleague, and with 150 likes, better than a parent, sibling or partner! 1
The second worry is that Facebook is not neutral; in fact, it is increasingly obvious that it is political. This has been made clear not just from Zuckerberg’s missive but also through recent events: revelations around fake news, social media influence on the US election, and wider concerns that the algorithms aren’t in fact as neutral as they are claimed to be.
So what should we do? We are not advocating a ‘Big Brother’ conspiracy theory that should leave us running for the hills. Nor are we saying that Zuckerberg is personally engaged in sophisticated subterfuge. When he says he wants to build a global community and to do good in the world, we can take him at his word.
Only a man
The limit, of course – and it’s here that the Facebook vision is found wanting – is that ‘the best of men are only men at their best’. Zuckerberg’s words are not the words of Christ and Facebook’s ambition is not constrained by the truth, or the love, of Christ. His vision – as any human vision – stands in need of the redeeming grace of Christ.
The Christ who was crucified, dead and buried. The Christ who on the third day rose again, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Christ whose worldwide church is the global community – itself a work in progress – that mediates the transforming power of God’s kingdom in the world.
Pete & Ed are co-authors of Virtually Human: Flourishing in a Digital Age. For more resources visit www.virtuallyhuman.co.uk
1. ‘Facebook knows you better than your members of your own family.’ Sarah Knapton, Telegraph,12 Jan 2015.
