Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., has declared that his days of apologizing are over. The billionaire expressed his weariness with taking on excessive responsibility for issues beyond his or his company’s control, particularly those with political implications.
During a conversation at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Zuckerberg made this statement while joking about scheduling a future appearance to apologize for his comments. He quickly clarified that his apology days were over, signaling a shift in his approach.
Reflecting on his career, Zuckerberg acknowledged his biggest mistake as a “political miscalculation” spanning over two decades. He admitted to taking on too much responsibility for problems beyond Facebook’s control, especially those related to the 2016 US election.
“Some of the things they were asserting that we were doing or were responsible for, I don’t actually think we were,” Zuckerberg said. “When it’s a political problem… there are people operating in good faith who are identifying a problem and want something to be fixed, and there are people who are just looking for someone to blame,” he added, without naming any specific individuals.
Zuckerberg’s declaration comes amidst a series of significant events and decisions at Meta. In August, he revealed that the Biden administration pressured Meta to censor certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic. He expressed regret for not opposing the pressure sooner and vowed to resist similar pressures in the future.
In a move that highlighted Meta’s evolving approach to content moderation, the company lifted restrictions on former President Donald Trump’s social media accounts, which were imposed after the January 6th insurrection.
Meta’s new social media platform, Threads, has adopted a different strategy than its rival X, formerly Twitter. Adam Mosseri, head of Threads, has stated that politics are not encouraged on the platform to avoid scrutiny and negativity.
Zuckerberg’s recent statements highlight the challenges faced by social media giants in navigating complex political landscapes and online platforms. His decision to stop apologizing suggests a new approach focused on resisting external pressures and defining Meta’s role in a changing digital world.
