April 3,
2026
Neil
Thomson
825
Alview Crescent
Kamloops,
BC
V2B 6C5
Meta
Platforms, Inc. (Meta)
Mark
Zuckerberg
1 Meta
Way
1601
Willow Road,
Menlo
Park,
CA 94025
Dear
Sir,
I have
been an avid user of Facebook and find the platform very enriching. Given that I’ve
come to rely on it so much as a social vehicle. Given its value to me and
society in general, I feel compelled to address some of the deficiencies
or ills that social media generally causes.
The United
States and Western Civilization generally are losing cohesion. Societal cohesion is faltering due to the amplification of the negativity bias
that results from social media platforms. The amplified negativity bias is facilitated
and or exacerbated by anonymity. Nearly every ill that has fallen out of the
widespread use of social media can be attributed to anonymity and the resulting
lack of accountability for what is said. When people can be identified, they
can be held accountable. When people can be identified, they become more
accountable. Anonymity throws the door open to subversive influence. Absent
anonymity, Psychological Operations by entities are curtailed,
misinformation and disinformation are curtailed, propagation of hate is
curtailed; name an ill and it is curtailed.
When anonymity is absent, Facebook (Meta), can then clearly
bill itself as a platform only, and it will be absolved of any wrongdoing due to
the ability of authorities and negatively affected entities being able to go to the source. The onus with respect to any errant communication will fall to the
publisher rather than the platform. Censorship will fall away from Facebook due
to there being a clear avenue for aggrieved parties to seek recourse directly
with the publisher.
The excerpt below offers a suggestion on how this challenge
might be addressed. It was presented as a governmental policy solution; it
could as easily have been an industry initiative.
Excerpt from a Letter to the Minister of Canadian
Identity and Culture
The goal of internet safety should be to, firstly, protect
people from harm, and secondly, and as importantly, avoid encroachment on free
speech. Any adjudication in this regard must occur under the auspices of
fundamental law and should never fall out of the full purview of an open court.
What is happening now is a frustrating calamity of futile
attempts by large actors in the business to offer protection. It is clearly
failing on all fronts. The censorship I’ve encountered on various platforms has
been arbitrary, often executed anonymously or ambiguously and in error or in a
manner that prevents the free flow of ideas. Most disturbing, a picture of
Micky Mouse when clicked upon can lead a child to grotesquely violent and
graphic sexual material – an event that once it occurs, adulterates that child
for life. While adults have the right to view adult material, there is a clear
imperative to protect the innocence of children.
Whereas the present regulation and operation of the internet
is permitting the transmission of information that harms the nation's
narrative, exposes children to damaging materials, facilitates the anonymous
abuse of people, allows foreign actors to effect discord and whereas anonymity
is the facilitating factor in isolating perpetrators of harm from coming under
the weight of the law, measures must be taken to have people’s actions tied to
their identity. To this end, the government should enact legislation that makes
it a statutory requirement that every person using social media in Canada be
provisioned with an Internet Identity Number and that every platform operating
in Canada is required to provide for the use of an Internet Identity Number for
an account to function.
In the way that effectively every Canadian has a Social
Insurance Number, every Canadian should have an Internet Identity Number. This
proposition would also have as a requirement that anyone using any platform in
Canada on the internet would require a number as well – so this would include
foreign actors. The process would be to apply via the Internet and provide
proof of identity, and how a given actor could be located with contact
information. This would be achieved in the same way one proves their identity
through services like Stripe and other online payment and collection systems.
The number and the identity data would be held in a Government of Canada
database.
The only requirement of the service providers would be one
more mandatory field on the account creation form. If a person has multiple
Facebook accounts, for example, they would simply put that number on each
account. This offers no operational impediment relative to what happens now.
Further, and perhaps most importantly, there would be a date of birth attached
to the number, so if Porn Hub allows a minor to access their materials, there
is a readily clear means to prove wrongdoing.
If an account operator engages in slanderous behaviour or is
peddling profane materials, for example, and a complaint or action is required,
there is a trail to the culprit. To garner access to the identity of the
account holder, one would make an application for an access order via a
lower-level court and on the strength of that court order, the government would
release the contact information so action can be taken.
It may be the case that as Canada’s database grows to include
a large swath of the world’s population, and then other countries would join
the effort. It may evolve in much the same way registering an internet site
has. We can demand appropriate regulation in Canada - we may end up effecting
appropriate regulation the world over.
Anonymity is a two-way street.
Sometime ago I reposted a clip of an Australian Senator speaking
in the Senate criticizing COVID policy. The post was blocked, or removed in
someway and my account functionality was affected. The attached note indicated someone in the Australian press corps was responsible. I had no means of
recourse.
Conclusion
We must
act now and decisively. The fact that Western civilization's narrative is so badly
fragmented, the fact that the public’s map of reality is so badly distorted, and
the fact that we are experiencing an unprecedented level of discord can be attributed
to the realities of modern communication modalities. These negative externalities
are nearly all the result of people being able to remain anonymous. People are being permitted to lie,
cheat, lure children, and sow discord with impunity. I respectfully urge Meta to consider supporting or
piloting identity-linked accountability measures that preserve free expression
while reducing harms enabled by anonymity. I believe this could strengthen
societal trust in platforms like Facebook and help restore societal cohesion.
I would
welcome any opportunity to discuss this further. Thank you for your time and
leadership on these important issues.
Kind
Regards,
Neil E.
Thomson
Mark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark ZuckerbergMark Zuckerberg