Facebook's awkward adolescence
Facebook has seen unprecedented success by amassing more than 2.3-billion people worldwide
Fifteen years after its founding, Facebook has made strides towards Mark Zuckerberg's goal of connecting the world. But it has also made some huge missteps that have turned some of its cheerleaders into detractors. The online social network founded on February 4 2004 in Zuckerberg's Harvard University dorm heads into adolescence with the grown-up burdens of being held accountable for its behaviour and playing in a world where people may not always have the purest intentions. Facebook has seen unprecedented success by amassing more than 2.3-billion people worldwide who use the platform to share updates, obtain information and connect with others. But it has also been criticised for being more focused on growth than protecting users or thwarting deception, bullying and harassment. "This is a very powerful company that has created an addictive product," said author and analyst Josh Bernoff. "Because of that, there is tremendous responsibility." Facebook was hammered last year by a seri...
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