Abstract

Our aim in this chapter is to analyze the conditions for exploitative prac- tices online through the application of the theories of cognitive integration. In this case, we examine Facebook as a technology that, thanks to its high cognitive inte- grability, can foster and exploit the ignorance of users and be used to perpetrate epistemic injustice. Facebook enables other agents—the service providers—to place the platform’s users in a position of high vulnerability. They achieve this through manipulative design; they are able to remain hidden to users’ awareness while still being in a position of power towards those users. By examining the way the interface of this website integrates and accommodates certain cognitive prac- tices, we will show how the reach of the online service provider goes further than we originally might have thought. The case of the Facebook Emotional Contagion Experiment is a prime example to illustrate the dangerous implications of this dynamic of not just cognitive integration, but covert mind invasion. In this experi- ment, Facebook manipulated the emotional state of their users through their Newsfeed, without their knowledge. Since social media can invade our mind, rather than just influence it, it is crucial that our relationship with them is well understood and safeguarded.