Facebook protesters share their dislike of company at shareholder meeting

Eight proposals up for vote were defeated, including plans for an independent board chair and to reform the company's share structure

A specter is haunting Facebook's shareholder meeting - the specter of a giant, inflatable angry emoji. The eight-foot frowny face that protesters took to Facebook's annual meeting Thursday in Palo Alto, California, was just one of numerous manifestations of investor and activist anger at the social media company.

Investors voted on eight independent shareholder proposals, all aimed at reforming a company that has seen its reputation shredded in recent years over concerns including data misuse, anti-competitive behavior, incitement of genocidal violence, and the hijacking of democratic elections.