Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is brushing off criticism — again — about his social media company posting political ads that contain false information, explaining to “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King that he doesn’t think private companies “should be censoring politicians.”
In their first joint TV interview, which will air on “CBS This Morning” Monday, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan invited King to their home, where Oprah’s bestie confronted the billionaire about the brouhaha surrounding his refusal to take down political ads that, as King put it, “people know are false.”
“What I believe is that in a democracy it’s really important that people can see for themselves what politicians are saying, so they can make their own judgments,” Zuckerberg said, repeating his standpoint he first made in October during a speech at Georgetown University. “And, you know, I don’t think that a private company should be censoring politicians or news.”
In late October, a group of about 200 Facebook employees signed a letter asking him to reconsider his position that political ads should be exempt from fact-checking, writing, “Free speech and paid speech are not the same.”
“Misinformation affects us all,” the letter said. “We strongly object to this policy as it stands. It doesn’t protect voices, but instead allows politicians to weaponize our platform by targeting people who believe that content posted by political figures is trustworthy.”
King asked him if they have a point.
“Well, this is clearly a very complex issue and a lot of people have a lot of different opinions,” Zuckerberg answered.
Zuckerberg dives deeper into that issue, along with talking about the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative — which strives to “advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research and energy” — in the full “CBS This Morning” interview.
You can check out the preview below.
“I don't think that a private company should be censoring politicians or news."
In their first joint TV interview, Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan invite @GayleKing into their home to talk about @Facebook & the @ChanZuckerberg Initiative. Beginning Monday on @CBSThisMorning. pic.twitter.com/jYCvkZcQ7h
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) December 1, 2019
Zuckerberg his since taken many hits from those who oppose his view. Speaking at the Anti-Defamation League’s “Never Is Now” Summit, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen said, “I believe it’s time for a fundamental rethink of social media and how it spreads hate, conspiracies and lies.” And during a recent screening of Netflix’s “The Great Hack,” The Guardian reported that Hillary Clinton said Zuckerberg “should pay a price” for harming democracy around the world.