Mark Zuckerberg is (still) not sorry.
In prepared remarks throughout Fb’s Q3 earnings name right this moment, Zuckerberg blamed the current avalanche of dangerous press for the social community on “a coordinated effort to selectively use leaked paperwork to color a false image of our firm.”
Fb’s CEO doubled down, working by way of a guidelines of issues the corporate has performed round security and safety, initiatives that can include a $5 billion price ticket in 2021. “It makes a very good soundbite to say that we do not clear up these unimaginable tradeoffs as a result of we’re simply targeted on creating wealth, however the actuality is these questions should not primarily about our enterprise, however about balancing troublesome social values,” he mentioned.
Zuckerberg briefly touched on introspection; “I fear in regards to the incentives that we’re creating for different firms to be as introspective as we’ve been,” he mentioned. However his remarks—forceful and indignant at occasions—didn’t actually look inward or take accountability for something. As an alternative, the media, lawmakers, and society as an entire are accountable, he argued.
Polarization has been round within the US since “earlier than I used to be born” in 1984, in accordance with Zuckerberg. “If social media is just not the principle driver of those points, then it most likely cannot repair them by itself both,” he mentioned.
“I’ve repeatedly known as for regulation to offer readability as a result of I do not assume firms ought to be making so many of those selections ourselves,” Zuckerberg mentioned. However that’s a handy fallback—glacial is Congress’ favourite pace, and a military of lobbyists will likely be on the prepared ought to lawmakers make a transfer.
Whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former product supervisor at Fb, is amongst these attempting to get politicians to behave. She testified before lawmakers in London right this moment, shortly after a number of high-profile information retailers posted tales about paperwork from the social community, which they dubbed the Fb Papers.
Zuckerberg mentioned right this moment that Fb “cannot change the underlying media dynamics,” and mentioned his focus is on folks, not the press. “The rationale we have been capable of succeed for nearly 20 years is as a result of we hold evolving and constructing. Fb began in a dorm room and grew into a world web site. We invented the Information Feed and a brand new type of adverts platform. We grew to become a mobile-first expertise. After which we grew an entire household of apps that serve billions of individuals.”
And but, the corporate has struggled to cease Teams that unfold harmful misinformation, partly due to a suggestion system that quickly veers off into questionable territory, Fb’s personal workers discovered. It’s all too simple for on-line chatter to spill over into real-world violence, in the US and abroad.