Meta’s latest idea: break the rules, take a class. First-time "offenders" on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or Messenger can dodge account strikes by completing an “educational program” to learn the rules they apparently violated. Misstep again after a year? Take the class again.
It’s re-education. Meta says many users “aren’t aware” they’ve broken the rules, but maybe that’s because the rules are a vague, moving target. Instead of fixing that, Meta doubles down on a system that treats users like clueless children needing correction.
And the payoff? A measly 15% of users say they better understand the rules after this digital probation. Meta calls it “promising.” Should we call it effective? Or dystopian?
This is a play straight from the handbook of platform paternalism: obscure rules, corporate-enforced “education,” and users jumping through hoops to stay on the platform that surveils them. 