For years, Facebook sold itself as “for the people.”
A digital town square.
A place to build community, livelihoods, and identity.
But an increasing number of high-profile users, insiders, creators, and public intellectuals have walked away — or dramatically reduced their presence — after concluding that Facebook (now Meta) operates as a cold, automated power structure with draconian enforcement, no human accountability, and life-destroying consequences for ordinary users.
Below are 20 well-known figures who have publicly criticized Facebook’s practices, many explicitly warning that the platform has become authoritarian in behavior, especially toward creators and long-term users.
⚠️ Important note: The views summarized below are their publicly stated opinions, not legal claims.
1. Brian Acton (WhatsApp Co-Founder)
After selling WhatsApp to Facebook, Acton left and later funded privacy-focused alternatives.
His criticism:
Facebook prioritizes data exploitation over people and privacy.
Famous quote:
“Delete Facebook.”
2. Jan Koum (WhatsApp Co-Founder)
Left Facebook after clashes over data usage, advertising, and user privacy.
Core issue:
Facebook’s values conflicted with user-first principles.
3. Roger McNamee (Early Facebook Investor)
One of Facebook’s earliest champions — and later one of its loudest critics.
His claim:
Facebook knowingly harms users and society and refuses meaningful reform.
- Early Investor & Mentor: McNamee was an initial investor and mentor to Zuckerberg and Sandberg, providing early funding and guidance.
- “Zucked” & “Catastrophe”: He penned Zucked, detailing his disillusionment and the “catastrophe” he believes Facebook has become.
- Dangerous Business Model: He asserts Facebook’s advertising-driven model, which prioritizes engagement over user well-being, is inherently harmful and operates within legal but damaging boundaries.
- Advocates for Regulation: McNamee strongly supports government intervention, including legislation to regulate Big Tech and hold platforms accountable for content.
- Threat to Democracy: He views Facebook as a significant threat to democratic processes and societal cohesion, citing issues like misinformation and polarizatio
4. Chamath Palihapitiya (Former Facebook VP)
Publicly expressed regret for helping build Facebook’s growth engine.
Key statement:
Facebook “rips apart the social fabric” and optimizes addiction over well-being.
5. Edward Snowden (Whistleblower)
Has repeatedly warned that Facebook functions as a surveillance architecture.
Criticism:
Users are the product — and consent is largely an illusion.
6. Sacha Baron Cohen (Actor & Filmmaker)
Condemned Facebook for enabling disinformation while hiding behind neutrality.
His warning:
Platforms that control speech without accountability resemble authoritarian systems.
7. Naomi Klein (Author & Activist)
Has criticized Facebook’s algorithmic power and lack of democratic oversight.
Concern:
Unaccountable corporations now control public discourse.
8. Jaron Lanier (Tech Pioneer & Author)
Deleted his Facebook account and encouraged others to do the same.
Viewpoint:
Facebook’s incentive structure dehumanizes users and creators alike.
9. Tim Berners-Lee (Inventor of the Web)
Publicly criticized Facebook’s centralized control of digital identity.
Position:
The web was meant to empower people — not trap them.
10. Mark Cuban (Entrepreneur)
Has criticized Facebook’s enforcement inconsistencies and lack of transparency.
Key issue:
Rules are unclear, selectively enforced, and harmful to small businesses.
11. Kara Swisher (Tech Journalist)
Long-time critic of Facebook’s internal culture and public evasiveness.
Observation:
Facebook avoids accountability while wielding enormous power.
12. Elon Musk (CEO, Tesla & SpaceX)
Deleted SpaceX and Tesla Facebook pages in protest.
Criticism:
Facebook’s trustworthiness and data ethics are deeply questionable.
13. Tristan Harris (Former Google Ethicist)
Though not a Facebook employee, he has strongly criticized Facebook’s design ethics.
Claim:
The platform exploits human psychology for engagement at any cost.
14. Alex Stamos (Former Facebook Chief Security Officer)
Left Facebook after internal disagreements over misinformation and enforcement.
Revealed:
Serious problems were often ignored or downplayed.
15. Frances Haugen (Facebook Whistleblower)
Exposed internal research showing Facebook knew its systems caused harm.
Her testimony:
Facebook chose profit over people — repeatedly.
16. Cory Doctorow (Author & Digital Rights Activist)
Has urged creators to abandon Facebook.
Reason:
Creators are trapped in a system that can erase them overnight.
17. Molly Crabapple (Artist & Writer)
Publicly discussed arbitrary takedowns and lack of appeal.
Issue:
Artistic expression punished without explanation.
18. Glenn Greenwald (Journalist)
Criticized Facebook’s censorship model and opaque moderation.
Warning:
Private companies now regulate speech more than governments.
19. Whitney Webb (Investigative Journalist)
Has criticized Facebook’s ties to surveillance and power consolidation.
Concern:
Platforms operate beyond democratic control.
20. Thousands of Content Creators (Collective Reality)
While not a single person, the mass exodus of creators tells its own story.
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Pages deleted without warning
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Monetization revoked overnight
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Appeals denied automatically
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Years of work erased
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No human contact
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No explanation
For many, Facebook wasn’t a hobby — it was rent, food, staff salaries, and survival.
The Core Problem: Power Without Accountability
Facebook claims to be “for the people.”
But its structure says otherwise.
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Community Guidelines are vague and elastic
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Enforcement is algorithm-driven
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Appeals are often illusory
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Human review is rare or nonexistent
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Long-term loyalty offers zero protection
This is not community governance.
It is platform absolutism.
Why Critics Call It Tyrannical
Not because Facebook bans users —
but because it does so:
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Without explanation
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Without evidence
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Without due process
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Without proportionality
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Without human accountability
That is the definition of arbitrary power.
Final Truth
Facebook says it’s for the people.
But its behavior shows the people exist for Facebook.
Until users have:
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Real appeals
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Human review
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Transparent enforcement
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Data ownership
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And protection for livelihoods
Facebook will remain what many former insiders and users now openly call it:
A digital empire — not a community.
