Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Networks Should Not Be Fact-Checking Political Speech

Do you think that platforms for social networking should check what politicians are posting? Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook says that he is not. Zuckerberg’s comments came after he was asked for his thoughts on Twitter’s decision to start fact-checking President Trump’s tweets.

“I don’t think that Facebook or internet platforms, in general, should be arbiters of truth,” Zuckerberg said. “Political speech is one of the most sensitive parts in a democracy, and people should be able to see what politicians say.”

While Facebook uses independent fact-checkers to review content on its social networks, it is about “really catching the worst of the worst,” Zuckerberg said.

“The point of that program isn’t to try to parse words on is something slightly true or false,” he said. “In terms of political speech, again, I think you want to give broad deference to the political process and a political speech.”

However, the company does have lines that no one, including politicians, can cross, Zuckerberg said.No one is allowed to use Facebook to cause violence or damage themselves, or post disinformation that could lead to the manipulation of votes, Zuckerberg said.

“There are clear lines that map to specific harms and damage that can be done where we take down the content,” he said. “But overall, including compared to some of the other companies, we try to be more on the side of giving people a voice and free expression.”

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