Operating in the shadows: Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg brushes aside allegations
In response to criticisms and allegations regarding the October 4 global outage Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg (co-founder of social media giant Facebook) Wednesday stated that. They are deeply concerned about safety, well-being, and the mental health and well-being of users.
The US Congress accused Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, of pushing for greater profits and being indifferent about safety.
Mark Zuckerberg wrote in his post that “First, the Sev that shut down all of our services on Monday was the worst outage I have ever seen in years”. He stated that the team spent 24 hours discussing how to strengthen their systems in order to prevent this type of failure.
Zuckerberg said, “The deeper concern about an outage such as this isn’t how many people switch over to competitive services. How much we lose money, but what it means to the people who rely upon our services to communicate to loved ones, run businesses or support their communities.”
He said that now that the ordeal has ended, he wants to reflect on the public discussion they are involved in.
“I’m sure that many of you found recent coverage difficult to read, because it doesn’t reflect the company I know. He stated that safety, well-being, and mental health are important to us.
Zuckerberg stated that it is difficult to see the coverage that misrepresents our work or our motives. He also said that most people don’t recognize the false image of the company being painted.
“Many claims don’t make sense”
He stated that many of these claims were “not logical.”
“If we were to ignore research, then why would we have an industry-leading research program to understand these important issues?”. If we didn’t care about fighting harmful contents. Why would we have so many people dedicated to this area than any other company in the space? Even larger companies. he questioned.
“If we were going to hide our results, then why would we have created an industry-leading standard in transparency and reporting about what we are doing?”. If social media was as important in polarizing society as some claim. Why is polarization increasing in the US when it remains flat or declining in other countries that use social media as much?
Zuckerberg believed that these accusations stemmed from the fact that profit was more important than safety and well-being.
He repeated, “That’s just not true.”
He spoke out to address the criticisms that social media giant Facebook faced following the introduction of meaningful social interactions changes to the news feed. The change showed fewer viral video clips and more content from family and friends. This change was expected to reduce people’s time on Facebook but research indicated it was the best thing for their well-being.
“Is this something that a company that is focused on profit over people would do?” he questioned.
Zuckerberg shared the desire to make a profit and said that the argument that they intentionally push content that angers people for profit was “deeply illogical”.
We make money with ads
“We make money through ads and advertisers repeatedly tell us that they don’t want ads with harmful or offensive content. And I don’t know of any tech company that aims to make people mad or depressed. He clarified that the moral, business, and product incentives all point in this direction.
Zuckerberg stated that he was most interested in the questions about his work with children that were published. He stated that he had spent a lot time thinking about the types of experiences he wanted his children and others to have online. It was important to him that all of it be safe and beneficial for them.
He stated that technology is a reality for young people. Think about how many school-age children have smartphones. Technology companies must not ignore this fact and create experiences that satisfy their needs while keeping them safe. He said that the company is committed to industry-leading work in this field.
According to the co-founder, the company was currently working on creating an age-appropriate experience for Instagram and Messenger. He said that the company had paused this project due to questions about whether it would be better for children.
He addressed his employees and wrote: “Like many others. I found it difficult reading the mischaracterization of the research into Instagram’s effect on young people.”
Read More: Why did WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram services face outage?
“We wrote in our Newsroom article explaining that teens feel that Instagram can help them deal with difficult moments and issues that teenagers face.
He explained that 11 of the 12 slide areas that were referenced by Journal — which include serious issues like loneliness, anxiety and sadness. Featured more teenage girls who stated that they struggled with the issue.
“We have been working for years to make people feel better in these situations. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.” This work is continually improved by our research.”
Like other social issues, “I don’t believe private companies should take all the decisions”. We have been advocating for updated internet regulations since many years. Multiple times, I testified before Congress and requested that they update the regulations.
“We are committed and determined to do the best work possible, but at some point. Our democratically elected Congress is the right body to evaluate tradeoffs among social equities. What is the appropriate age for teens to access internet services? What should internet services do to verify the ages of people? How can companies ensure teens’ privacy and give parents access to their activities?
Mark Zuckerberg expressed concern about the incentives being offered here. We have an industry-leading research program so we can identify and address important issues. It’s disheartening seeing that work is taken out of context and used as a false narrative to suggest that we don’t care,” he said.
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He shared with his employees that he was frustrated to see “frustrating” work being mischaracterized, particularly for those who make important contributions in safety, integrity and research.
Mark Zuckerberg said that he believes that long-term, if we “continue to do what’s right and deliver experiences that improve people’s lives. It will make a difference for our community as well as our business. I asked the leaders of the company to dive into the work in many areas and show you how we got there.
“When I look back at our work, I am struck by the impact it has on the world. People who are able to stay in touch with loved ones, find support, and build community. These are the reasons why our products are loved by billions. He concluded, “I am proud of all we do to continue building the best social product in the world. I am grateful to you all for the work that you do every day.”
