We Don't Need Facebook
The article argues that individuals and businesses can thrive without Facebook, highlighting how reliance on the platform poses risks like algorithm changes, data privacy issues, and loss of control. It advocates for building independent digital presences through personal websites, email lists, and other decentralized tools.
Background
- The author, Romuald Notte, is an artist and creative coder who examines the intersection of art and technology.
- The piece challenges the widespread assumption that Facebook (i.e., a Meta account) is a necessary or mandatory component of modern life, especially for social connection, event organization, and community building.
- It argues that Facebook's dominance is a product of network effects and habit, not genuine utility — and that alternatives (email, newsletters, dedicated forums, indie web tools) exist and work better for many use cases.
- This perspective is part of a broader "decentralization" and "small internet" movement that pushes back against Big Tech's monopoly on online social infrastructure.
- The article does not aim to be a step-by-step guide, but a philosophical provocation: readers are encouraged to question their own reliance on Facebook (and similar platforms) and to explore more autonomous digital spaces.