To answer this question, I asked myself the same questions from the readings. How seriously wrong do I believe the company’s actions are? It’s safe to say Facebook (now Meta) is not the most ethical company I could work for. Recently, Facebook has been under fire for its data privacy practices. While I may not fully understand the impact of their decisions, I know they take advantage of vulnerable information that users naturally give up on the platform. Additionally, given the misogynistic origins of Facebook, I’m concerned about whether my ideas and efforts will be recognized. I may not have the privilege to ignore the ethics of a company, as that could impact me directly as an employee.
That said, at this point in my career, the benefits of gaining experience at a company like Facebook would be invaluable. I might be shortsighted, but I don’t feel I have the luxury to be that selective, especially when considering an opportunity from such a powerful, well-respected company. If a company’s ethics were non-negotiable, it would leave me with very few options. My work at Facebook might involve making things better—or it might not. If I’m working on their Marketplace team, for example, I could easily feel that my work is not tied to their wrongdoings. As someone entering at an entry-level position, I doubt my work would involve unethical data practices or anything along the lines of ranking female attractiveness. After much thought, I’ve decided I would work at Facebook, especially if they demonstrate an effort to address and rectify their past mistakes.
