Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent hours testifying before Congress Tuesday and Wednesday, but it was one sentence of his testimony that may end up having the biggest impact on the company’s bottom line.
From Conservative Tribune:
“We’ve been told that platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like are neutral platforms, and the people who own and run them for profit … bore no responsibility for the content,” Cornyn said. “Do you agree now that Facebook and other social media platforms are not neutral platforms but bear some responsibility for the content?”
Zuckerberg’s somewhat surprising response was, “I agree that we’re responsible for the content.”
That could be a game-changer for Zuckerberg and his company.
Companies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Craigslist, Google, Instagram and dozens of others have always described themselves as technical platforms for their users. If people say something offensive, try to sell something that’s counterfeit, or do an internet search and come across something that claims to be true but isn’t, the sites can always claim, “Hey, we’re not responsible for what’s put on our site. We’re just the provider of the platform.”
Do you agree with Zuckerberg that Facebook is responsible for what it allows its users to post?
