Paris (AFP)

US investor Roger McNamee, a former mentor and financial supporter of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, warns of the "dark side" of the social network, he said in an interview with AFP.

According to Roger McNamee, who publishes this week "Facebook, the disaster announced" in French edition Quanto, the group does not "frankly" enough to disinformation or hate speech on all its social networks.

QUESTION: How has your perception of Facebook changed since you met Mark Zuckerberg in 2006?

A: It took me a long time to realize that this very optimistic, very optimistic young man also had a dark side and that it would eventually contribute to a phenomenal success but that it would have important consequences in terms of public health, democracy , respect for privacy and competition. (...) There were signs that things were not going well in Facebook as early as 2007-2008, but each time, society seemed to learn a lesson and move forward. (...) In January 2016, during the Democratic primary, I observed behaviors that seemed not very authentic in Facebook groups. It was hate speech, especially in groups posing as supporters of Bernie Sanders. (...) Then in June 2016, the Brexit. For the first time, I realized that advertising tools, which make Facebook so valuable to businesses, could be used in an election and distort the result in a way that undermines democracy. This time, it really worried me.

QUESTION: Calls to dismantle Facebook have multiplied and procedures are now being launched in the United States. Can they succeed?

R: I do not have the answer. Three years ago, I would not have imagined that we would be there, that countries would think seriously about an antitrust intervention (aimed at limiting economic concentration, editor's note). But in my opinion, antitrust goes beyond simply dismantling companies. (...) We must also recognize that the + business model + of these companies is a danger for democracy, public health and privacy, because our personal data are treated as a good. These companies say + if we take this data or buy it, and we own it +. I say that personal data is a civil right. It's a human right.

QUESTION: Facebook wants to launch its cryptocurrency, the Libra. What can she use for it?

A: The argument they put forward is that in developing countries, in India, in Africa, in places where there are no banks, this currency is exchanged by telephone, can allow banking activities. And that can actually be the case. But what they do not say is that overnight, the financial markets can switch to a currency like Libra, because it's a way around taxes, controls and the ability of governments to maintain financial markets in order.

QUESTION: Mark Zuckerberg also announced working on encryption of conversations, collaborating with the police on live shootings videos, with media against misinformation ...

A: I recognize at least one merit on Facebook: they are trying to change things. Not enough in my opinion, but it's better than Google. After, honestly, I think that Facebook really does something on its flagship product (the Facebook application itself, ed). Instagram (which belongs to Facebook, ed) for example is very vulnerable to electoral interference. But there are all sorts of illegal things going on there, whether it's drugs or terrorist propaganda.

© 2019 AFP