House Democrats Pressure Mark Zuckerberg on Meta Policy Changes.
Four Democratic representatives from the House are urging Mark Zuckerberg to clarify the recent changes to Meta's policies, arguing that they appear to be an attempt to "gain sympathy" with the...
A group of House Democrats has expressed concern over recent changes to Meta's policies, highlighting their worries about the loosening of content moderation rules, the elimination of corporate diversity programs, and the suspension of third-party fact-checking. In a letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg, four Congress members from the Energy and Commerce Committee requested clarifications about the broad changes announced by the Meta CEO last month.
The lawmakers described these changes as "detestable, inconsistent, and dangerous," suggesting that the timing of the announcement indicates an attempt to appease the Trump administration. So far, Meta has not provided many details on how it will implement these new policies, which were revealed just before Trump took office. In the letter, the Congress members asked Zuckerberg whether the "threats of retaliation" from the former president may have influenced the decision to end fact-checking on the platform. They also inquired if the Facebook founder had held discussions with any representatives of the Trump administration regarding the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case against Meta.
Furthermore, the letter highlights that Zuckerberg's recent statements seem to contradict his previous comments about establishing the Oversight Board. The lawmakers stated that this Board, once seen as a symbol of accountability, becomes ineffective when Meta ignores the principles of "trust and safety."
The lawmakers also questioned Zuckerberg's public claims about the need for corporations to have more "male energy," finding it "particularly odd" given that both Meta's long-time general counsel and its current CFO are women, and that three of the most important committees of its Board of Directors are chaired by women.
Zuckerberg has until February 21, 2025, to respond to these questions. A spokesperson for Meta commented that the company has no further additions beyond what has already been communicated in recent weeks.
