Meta’s Troubling Actions
Following Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent attempts to appease President Trump and the company’s shift in content moderation policies, which have led to the proliferation of hate speech against marginalized groups, many individuals are seeking alternatives to the social media giant. Count John Oliver among them, as he devoted over half an hour on his show, Last Week Tonight, to exposing the harm caused by Meta and providing viewers with a means to reduce their value to the company.

Exposing Meta’s Harm
Oliver’s segment covered a wide range of topics, from Facebook’s role in the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar to the spread of election misinformation. He also used his signature wit and analogies, likening Zuckerberg’s appearance to "Eddie Redmayne being cast to play Ice Cube" and "white Macklemore."

A Call to Action
Oliver urged viewers to make themselves less valuable to Meta by limiting the company’s ability to track their online activities. Since Meta generates 98% of its revenue through advertising, driven by its powerful ad platform that relies on user data, reducing data collection can impact the company’s revenue. Oliver directed viewers to a guide created in collaboration with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to prevent Meta from tracking users. The guide can be found at johnoliverwantsyourraterotica.com, a URL that, while unconventional, serves a purpose.

Protecting User Privacy
The guides provided are standard fare for those concerned about privacy, but it’s beneficial for Oliver to promote these tools to his vast audience. The recommendations include using a privacy-focused web browser like Firefox and installing the Privacy Badger extension, which blocks third-party advertisers from tracking user activity.

Limitations and Impact
While it’s unlikely that this effort will significantly dent Meta’s bottom line, given the company’s massive size and monopolistic grasp on its audience, raising awareness about user tracking and monetization is still a worthwhile endeavor. User boycotts and advertiser pullouts have had limited impact in the past, but promoting privacy protection and reducing data collection can only have a positive effect. Even if it means typing "rat erotica" into the URL bar, Oliver’s message is a net positive.