‘The Social Reckoning’ fumbles the drama of Facebook’s expose – The Diamondback

The Social Reckoning, released last Friday, takes The Wall Street Journal’s infamous Facebook expose and waters it down, losing its potential as a companion to the acclaimed film The Social Network. Directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, the film recounts the true story of the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, played by Madison, who went public with internal documents and insider information on poor ethics to journalist Jeff Horwitz, played by White. Data engineer Haugen strongly believes that Facebook is a platform meant to change the world through its ability to form connections, but as she spends more time with the company, she begins to worry that the platform is radicalizing its users and choosing profit over public safety. After seeing a video of an old, left-leaning friend going on a racist tangent towards two cops, Haugen wonders if Facebook is to blame for the ideological shift. Haugen meets Horwitz, who connected with her on LinkedIn, keen to investigate Facebook, not long after. Over time, she divulges information to Horwitz, who is determined to publish information about Facebook’s algorithmic role in radicalizing people and failing to protect its users. [ Grammy-winning musician Angelique
Read More