The Algorithm That Fueled a Genocide

A wakeup call for every single one of us.

This morning, i presented to a room of data leaders from one of our amazing clients at 33 Sticks.

i had eighteen precious minutes to deliver a message that i believe every person needs to hear, whether they work with data or not.

i titled my opening slide: "The Algorithm That Fueled a Genocide."

This isn't hyperbole. This isn't a dystopian fiction designed to shock. This is our reality.

In 2021, a whistleblower emerged from within Facebook and revealed something chilling: The platform's ranking algorithm, the invisible hand that decides what appears in your feed, was deliberately designed to prioritize content that triggered strong emotional reactions. And the emotion that received the greatest algorithmic weight wasn't joy or love or compassion.

It was anger.

Why? Because the data showed, without question, that angry people stay online longer. They don't just scroll, they engage. They click. They comment. They react. But most importantly, they argue. Not thoughtful discussions or rational exchanges of ideas but infantile, abusive arguments fueled by outrage.

For Facebook, this translated directly to profit. More anger meant more time on the platform, which meant more advertisements viewed, which meant more money flowing into Mark Zuckerberg's pockets.

But in Myanmar, this algorithm became something far more sinister.

The same code that was optimized to boost engagement amplified hate speech against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority. It spread propaganda with ruthless efficiency. It radicalized users at scale. And ultimately, it helped ignite what the United Nations called "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

Let that sink in, an algorithm designed to maximize profit became a weapon of mass division.

And the most terrifying part? The algorithm wasn't malfunctioning. It was working exactly as designed.

You might think this is an extreme example, something that happens in far-away countries with existing tensions. But is it really so distant?

Look around you. We are drowning in data. Every second, billions of clicks, swipes, purchases, pauses, and shares are being recorded. Yet the more data we collect, the more we forget that it comes from people, real human beings with lives and families and futures.

i want you to be honest with yourself right now. Have you fallen into this trap? Better yet, take ten minutes after reading this and go look at what your friends and family are posting on social media.

Who among them has been radicalized? Who has been quietly brainwashed?

Do you have an uncle who was once logical and grounded, who now spews hatred and division? Someone who once possessed critical thinking skills but now seems incapable of rational thought?

Is there a close friend who was once empathetic and caring, who would help anyone in need, but who now sees certain groups as less than human? Someone who turns their back on the vulnerable to support their chosen cult leader?

What about that coworker who once was the voice of reason on your team but now posts such nonsense that you're embarrassed to be associated with them?

This isn't happening in some distant land. It's happening in our own families. In our own workplaces. In our own neighborhoods.

Every single one of us knows someone who has been transformed, someone who was once empathetic but is now cold and callous, someone who once thought critically but now can barely process information beyond an elementary school level.

This is not just sad, it's dangerous for the future of our communities. And the dangers are growing by the day.

The algorithms that drive our social media platforms aren't neutral tools. They're weapons being wielded by some of the most powerful people in the world, people like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, who have more money than they could spend in multiple lifetimes but remain thirsty for more, regardless of the human cost.

These are the new gatekeepers, the puppet masters pulling strings through data. Their algorithms determine how we consume content, how we shop, whether we qualify for loans, whether banks will even review our applications, whether we make it past HR screenings to get hired.

All of it - ALL OF IT - is based on algorithms and the data that fuels them.

But…there is hope.

We don't have to be passive victims. We don't have to accept this mass manipulation. We don't have to watch as more people we care about become sacrificial pawns in this game of power and profit.

It's up to us to pull our friends out of these cults they've been drawn into. It's up to us to say to the tech billionaires, "Enough is enough. We will no longer be manipulated for your gain."

It's up to us to understand how data is being used against us by powerful men who care only about accumulating more wealth and influence for a privileged few.

The first step toward freedom is awareness. Understanding the invisible forces that shape our digital environments is crucial to resisting them. And that's why i'm sharing this message with you today, not just as a data professional, but as a human being who cares deeply about our collective future.

We've had enough of algorithms without empathy. We've had enough of data without humanity. We've had enough of technology that divides rather than unites.

The time has come to reclaim our digital spaces, our relationships, and our minds.

The time has come to demand better.

And it starts right now, with you and me.

Are you with me?

Much Love 💛

-jason