Move is Mark Zuckerberg’s latest attempt to appease Donald Trump and emulate Elon Musk’s oversight of X
Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement in response to Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to end fact-checking on Meta’s platforms, the latest in a series of actions to appease Donald Trump by upending the company’s safety policies.
“Let’s be clear: Meta’s decision to end fact-checking is a gift to Donald Trump and extremists around the world. Four years ago this week, Facebook banned Donald Trump for inciting a violent insurrection that resulted in the deaths of 5 people and disrupted our democracy. Now, Zuckerberg is re-opening the floodgates to the exact same surge of hate, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that caused January 6th – and that continue to spur real-world violence.
“We all grew up with someone like Mark Zuckerberg: the kid that ditches his supposed values (and his old clothes) to befriend the class bully. After years of at least paying lip service to protecting users, Zuckerberg has sold out seemingly overnight: he has apologized to far-right figures for Meta’s policies, ousted senior staff in favor of Trump supporters, added Trump ally Dana White to the Board, announced he would move its trust and safety team from California to Texas in a so-called attempt to ‘reduce bias,’ and openly stated that he wants Facebook to look more like X. It’s as if Mark Zuckerberg’s latest Facebook status reads preemptive capitulation.
“It would be cringey if it weren’t so calculated. Extremism is foundational to Meta’s business model, which depends on engagement to drive advertising revenue. Today, Zuckerberg has sacrificed the safety of Meta’s millions of users – and the sanctity of democracy – not only to hang with the “cool kids,” but also to protect his billion-dollar bank account.
“The world will be far more dangerous as a result.”
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About Accountable Tech
Accountable Tech is a non-profit organization advocating for digital justice by reining in Big Tech’s threats to society and democracy with legislative, regulatory, and structural solutions. Through strategic initiatives and creative campaigns, Accountable Tech is challenging the industry’s toxic business model in order to protect data privacy, preserve the health of democracy, and create safer online platforms. We are leading the movement to advance a better, more human-centered digital future, and tech for the common good. To learn more, visit accountabletech.org.
