Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Defends Free Speech Amid Calls for Tighter Controls
October 17 2019 - 2:35PM
Dow Jones News
By Ryan Tracy
WASHINGTON -- Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark
Zuckerberg asserted his commitment to free speech over more
aggressive policing of social-media platforms, in a rare policy
speech that could have ramifications for the U.S. presidential
campaign and social movements world-wide.
In a speech at Georgetown University, Mr. Zuckerberg said he
believes it is dangerous for people to focus more on their desired
political outcomes than giving a range of voices the opportunity to
be heard. He compared the current moment of political polarization
to other periods of intense social change, including the
civil-rights movement.
"Some people believe that giving more people a voice is driving
division rather than bringing people together," he said, reading
from a teleprompter in an auditorium packed with students. "I am
here today because I believe we must continue to stand for free
expression."
Mr. Zuckerberg's speech on Thursday took place amid a brewing
debate about whether Facebook should make judgments over whether
political ads contain falsehoods, and days before the executive
will appear on Capitol Hill to face lawmakers.
The speech gave Mr. Zuckerberg a chance to address policy makers
on his terms, a contrast to congressional hearings where lawmakers
control the dialogue. He said ahead of the speech that he wanted to
communicate "an unfiltered take" on how he views questions around
free expression on Facebook.
The speech is also a part of Facebook's stepped-up effort to
court allies in Washington -- a campaign that has included Mr.
Zuckberberg meeting privately with President Donald Trump,
lawmakers in both parties and conservative commentators such as Fox
News host Tucker Carlson.
Facebook's standing in Washington has deteriorated since the
2016 election, with both parties criticizing the company for being
a vehicle for disinformation and for repeatedly breaking its own
promises to protect users' privacy.
This year, that political angst has hit the company's bottom
line. Facebook agreed to pay a $5 billion fine for privacy
violations in July, and its efforts to launch a new
cryptocurrency-based payments network are in doubt due to criticism
from policy makers. Most ominously, U.S. antitrust authorities, as
well as state attorneys general, are investigating whether the
company should face antitrust sanctions for abusing its market
power.
Write to Ryan Tracy at ryan.tracy@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 17, 2019 14:20 ET (18:20 GMT)
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