'The Social Network' Sequel in the Works at Sony, Will Focus on How Facebook Knowingly Causes 'Harm' on Its Platforms
Sony Pictures has greenlit a sequel to the Academy Award-winning film "The Social Network," with original screenwriter Aaron Sorkin set to both write and direct the follow-up more than 15 years after the first film's release.
The project, titled "The Social Network Part II," will explore how Facebook has knowingly caused harm through its platforms, drawing directly from explosive internal company documents that were leaked to the press, per Deadline.
The sequel will be based on The Wall Street Journal's "The Facebook Files," a series of investigative articles published in October 2021 that exposed the inner workings and multiple harms caused by the world's largest social media network. These articles, written by reporter Jeff Horwitz, revealed that Facebook was fully aware of the negative impacts its platforms had on users and society but continued to prioritize profit over addressing these issues.
The leaked documents, provided by whistleblower Frances Haugen, revealed that Facebook's own internal research confirmed the platform's harmful effects on teenage users, particularly girls who used Instagram. One internal presentation revealed that among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of British users and 6% of American users traced the issue to Instagram. The research also found that 32% of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.
Beyond its impact on young users, the Facebook Files revealed the company's role in spreading misinformation and its contribution to real-world violence. The documents showed that Facebook permitted certain high-profile users to circumvent content moderation rules through a program called "XCheck," which exempted approximately 5.8 million users from standard enforcement. This system allowed violating content to receive billions of views, including instances where celebrities shared what Facebook deemed revenge porn to millions of followers.
Sorkin has long expressed interest in creating a sequel to the 2010 film, but struggled to find the right angle until recent events inspired him. Sources stress that the new movie will not focus solely on January 6 but will examine Facebook's broader effects on teens, violence, and countries outside the United States.
The original "The Social Network," directed by David Fincher, was a critical and commercial success, earning $226 million worldwide and receiving eight Oscar nominations, winning three, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin. The film launched the careers of stars Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Andrew Garfield, who played Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook.
