Facebook is increasingly under siege and now a new Dutch initiative – the Facebook Museum – is aiming to help users break away from the platform once and for all.

Designed by SETUP, an arts technology organisation based in Utrecht, the touring museum uses a blend of clever displays, cheeky products, and informative pamphlets to make the case that it’s time for Facebook’s users to move on.

The museum’s first stop was at a pop-up location in Utrecht Centraal in July. “Facebook is dying and it’s had its heyday, but it’s still the biggest social media platform in the world,” Marissa Memelink, the museum’s project leader, told Dutch News. “We want people to start thinking about what their lives will be like without it.” 

Despite thousands of disparaging news articles and revelatory tell-alls like former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People, parent company Meta’s stock is still valued at over $700.

Facebook usage is down, especially among teens and 20-somethings who have flocked to sites like Twitch and TikTok, but it remains stubbornly addictive, especially for older people.

The sheer amount of stuff they’ve posted over the years makes it difficult to quit the platform and, when friends or family members delete their accounts, it can sometimes wipe out valuable mementos and cherished memories.

“We had someone in here earlier who said a friend had tons of pictures tagged of them on Facebook, but they deleted their profile, so they lost all of them,” museum worker Julie told Dutch News.

Memelink said the popup received over 4,500 visitors during the few days it was at Utrecht’s main railway station. And while the museum is fun and full of silly stuff for sale like humorous memorial candles and tracker cookies that are actual cookies, it’s not to be taken too lightly.

It also includes pamphlets and displays that cover the darker sides of Meta, which includes its removal of fact checkers from Facebook and utilising user data to train AI systems.

Aims

The primary aims of the museum are to encourage visitors to ditch their accounts, prepare for a future without Facebook, and perhaps support a newer platform with fewer ethical concerns.

But that’s easier said than done. For many, it’s still the best way to stay in touch with distant friends and family. There are also easy-to-use group pages and Facebook remains appealing for older users who aren’t tech savvy.

“We talked to a lot of people in Utrecht,” Memelink said. “Some told very personal stories. A few said they hate Facebook and everything it symbolises, but they haven’t deleted their profile because they have a deceased family member with a legacy page on there and it’s still the best way to commemorate them.”

The museum’s next appearance will be at the Betweter Festival in Utrecht on September 26 followed by Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven from October 18 to 26.

Permanent home

The goal is to eventually find a permanent location. Until then, Memelink said there are tentative plans for it to become a travelling exhibition that can be featured in other museums. It will also continue to evolve, becoming larger with room for visitors to share and store their Facebook memories.

She also said she hopes the museum will encourage visitors to think about what sort of legacy Facebook will leave behind and who will write its history and our own.

“Instead of a shoe box full of photos in the attic, we have Facebook and it’s on the servers of Mark Zuckerberg,” she said. “Do we want to leave how we write about society and ourselves in this era to him? We think we should do that collectively and all together. Let’s claim back our digital cultural heritage.”

Facebook did not respond to requests for an interview or comment.