The Malta Independent editorial, (Friday 28 September) brought back to my mind a number of points which I had mentioned in an article published  a few weeks ago, entitled 'Abusing Zuckerberg's tool'.

There is no doubt that Facebook has become a very important means of communication especially with the younger generation. At the same time a number of recent revelations have also exposed the dangers of manipulation that can possibly take place through the bad use of the information collected as a result of our posts. The editorial referred to the fact that 6,011 Maltese citizens had their data harvested. This is much more than any sample which is required for the purposes of providing manipulated information.

As far as I know those whose information was harvested were never informed of the harvesting. They were not informed as to why their particular information was required by those who harvested it, and they were not informed as to who had commissioned the harvesting. The Government's weak denial does not put any mind at rest, especially in the light of so many other declarations that have to be taken with much more than a pinch of salt.

There is no doubt that certain posts on Facebook are intended as  means of manipulation. There is no doubt that there are various administrators, who are themselves the agents of manipulation. A number of people who post on the local papers' on line versions of the hard copy articles keep posting the same sort of comments which are solely meant to manipulate the thoughts of those who read them. These may, perhaps be identified because those reading these same comments are normally the ones who are rather better informed about the type of comments certain people are used to post.

However, there are other more dangerous sites which are prone to much bigger abuse by those who post on them. Besides that, these same sites are more dangerous because there is a tendency of those abusing this means of communication to hide under a number of fake profiles. Fake profiles are sometimes identifiable through the fact that they represent comments which are identical to live comments which are spouted out in our local clubs and bars.

A number of local sites are used as a means of misinforming those reading the very same comments. The hatred which is often veiled in these comments pass unchecked and uncontrolled, and in certain cases, if some sort of answer is sent out on the same sites, the answers are either deleted or censored. Manipulation is rather easy under such circumstances.

It is also well known that it is very hard to follow what is being written, especially when certain people block you from viewing their particular comments. Besides that our legal framework is rather weak when it comes to checking those who abuse of the system. Some claim the concept of 'freedom of expression' has to be ensured. 

I am all for such a concept of 'freedom of expression'. In fact I lived for nearly three and a half years suspended from work, precisely because I fought for this ideal. At the same time, I am totally against any form of abuse by those who are so conversant with manipulation. There is a tendency for abusers getting away with murder because of the way certain issues are actually handled by our legal framework.

The questions raised in the editorial need to be answered......yet I very much doubt they will be. The questions raised should be of concern to each and every one of us. Only those in authority could answer them. Let me hope they will.