[hoosieree]

The purpose of a system is what it does.

[fsflover]

My smartphone doesn't manipulate or track me. There are no invasive push notifications or ads. Sent from my Librem 5.

[sudhirb]

Some mild whataboutery: is the purpose of a cancer ward to fail to cure a large fraction of its patients[0]?

https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/come-on-obviously-the-purpo...

[nucleogenesis]

“what it does” describes the actions taken - cancer wards work to treat cancer (which is their purpose). Outcomes of what they do isn’t relevant to the point.

The purpose of most social media companies is to manipulate people for financial and political gain which is what they do.