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Social Media has shown being a strong tool for democratisation around the world, especially lately in the arabic countries. It has also shown being a strong marketing tool for businesses. In the mean time, we experience a monopoly on it. A few big companies hold in their hands the majority of the information running thorugh the Internet. This constellation works against the idea of democracy, it is in fact an oligarchy. A strong and cloaked power hould your business destiny in its hands. Do you dare put your living in their hands?

Twitter

Recently we reched a limit, a limit that stalls our expansion abilities. We tried to get in contact with Twitter, in vain. They didn’t (so far) even bother to aknowledge the fact that we tried to contact them. We have reached a limit of followees, we can’t follow more people due to an agressive following pattern according to Twitters rules of conduct. So we checked our ratio and lowered it to 1:0.9 (by not following anyone anymore) for several weeks ago. We waited a couple of weeks to let it cool off and then tried again. We are still restrained to that criteria, although we don’t follow aggresivly anymore.

After trying to get in contact with one of Internet’s oligarch, Twitter, through e-mail and Twitter we reseigned hoping. Not even a proof of life from them! We put alot of effort on Twitter and other social chanels and realize that we are very depending of their exestence. As of now we can’t expand as needed. People can follow us but we can’t follow them back. Rumors say that reaching Twitter by fax is the best way! FAX?

We don’t critisize their rules of conduct but we don’t accept their manners. No right to appeal or even have a discussion is considered as an unappropriated and a non-democratic way of doing business by us.

Facebook and Google are not better

Facebook does not differ from Twitter and Google in this matter. We have been trying to post something on a Facebook page these last three days finding out it just will not work. All we get is this message “Something went wrong. We’re working on getting it fixed as soon as we can.” without further information or possibilities to get in touch with Facebook. It is not unknown that the same applies for Google. Google can shut you down if they considere you have broken their rules, without the possiblity or right to appeal (worth its name) their resolutions.

The menace

If you are a hard-working business owner, you could aswell find yourself shut out from your social networks without further notice at any day. All this without having the possibility to influence the oligarchs decision. We realize that you approve to the terms when you register but is there no rules regulating the responsability of big information actors?

An example that illustrate the situation would be (among many others) the Björn Borg Facebook page case, where some promotional pictures where considered as pornografic and therefore banned from Facebook. This without any objectiv possibilities to appeal. The rules are vage and applied differently depending on whom made the “misstake”, there is no justice (worth its name) within the oligarchs sphere.

You could of course stick to your business without trying to get any attention to avoid any kind of disagreements with the oligarchs. Although promotional material is often ment to step out of the box. Otherwise it is hard to reach out to your customer and strength your brand.