In a scathing segment on Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver took aim at Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, offering viewers practical steps to reduce the company's ability to profit from their personal data.
The comedian spent over 30 minutes detailing Meta's controversial practices, from its role in spreading election misinformation to its involvement in the Myanmar genocide. But beyond the criticism, Oliver provided his audience with actionable advice: make themselves less valuable to Meta's advertising machine.
The strategy centers on Meta's business model, which derives 98% of its revenue from advertising through micro-targeted ads based on extensive user tracking. To counter this, Oliver partnered with the Electronic Frontier Foundation to create a privacy guide accessible through an unconventionally named website.
The guide recommends practical privacy measures, including switching to Firefox as a privacy-focused browser and installing Privacy Badger, an extension that blocks third-party tracking. These tools aim to limit Meta's ability to collect and monetize user data across the internet.
While previous advertiser boycotts and user protests have had limited impact on Meta's bottom line, Oliver's initiative serves a broader purpose: educating millions about online privacy and data tracking. The segment highlights how social media platforms monetize user activity and offers practical solutions for those concerned about their digital footprint.
Though these measures may not significantly impact Meta's revenue streams, they represent a step toward greater user awareness and control over personal data. As Oliver's segment demonstrates, individual privacy protection remains a powerful tool in the broader conversation about social media accountability.