George Soros George Soros: Facebook and Google a menace to society Billionaire says social media companies’ ‘days are numbered’Soros warns of ‘far-reaching adverse consequences’ for democracy Facebook Twitter Pinterest George SorosFacebook and Google have become “obstacles to innovation” and are a “menace” to society whose “days are numbered”, said billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. “Mining and oil companies exploit the physical environment; social media companies exploit the social environment,” said the Hungarian-American businessman, according to a transcript of his speech. “This is particularly nefarious because social media companies influence how people think and behave without them even being aware of it. That turns them into a menace and it falls to the regulatory authorities to protect society against them,” he said. In November, Roger McNamee, who was an early investor in Facebook, described Facebook and Google as threats to public health.

Source: The Guardian January 25, 2018 22:52 UTC