shocking . Irresponsible . confederate .
These are the give-and-take House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used to distinguish Facebook and its executive board this hebdomad during one of the most extremely - watch news conferences of the new twelvemonth .
“ They do n’t care about the impact on children . They do n’t care about Sojourner Truth , ” she said , adding that Facebook ’s only interest is turn a profit . Facebook has “ schmoozed ” the presidential term — a likely source to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’ssecretivedinners with President Trump — because “ all they need is their revenue enhancement cuts and no antitrust military action against them . ”
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, leaves after speaking at her weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill, 4 February 2025, in Washington, DC.Photo: Olivier Douliery (Getty
“ I think that what they have tell very blatantly , very intelligibly , that they designate to be accomplices for misinform the American people with money from god recognise where . They did n’t even check on the money from Russia in the last election . They never even imagine they should , ” Pelosi said , before returning to the topic at hired man , the Senate ’s looming impeachment trial .
Gizmodo assumed that Facebook would wish to labour back on the speaker ’s remarks , but in the past 24 hour has instead ignored our repeated attempts to solicit a reception .
Facebook has attempted to defend its behavior by portray CEO Mark Zuckerberg as some variety of revolutionary gratis - speech advocate — often by appeal the First Amendment , which as any 7th grader could secernate you , has absolutely nothing to do with Facebook ’s policing of its platform .
“ We ’re not doing it because of the money , ” Sheryl Sandberg , Facebook ’s master operating officer , said after an salary call last year , in which Zuckerberg himself noted that political advertising accounts for less than one percent of the company ’s revenue . ( One percent of $ 55 billion is , objectively , a very tumid amount of money . )
Citing Zuckerberg , Sandberg went on to say that Facebook believes deep in freedom of expression . “ We believe in political speech , and ads can be an important part of that , ” she say .
During a House subcommittee hearing last week — where Facebook ’s vice president of global policy direction , Monica Bickert , appeared as a spectator — a former design ethicist at Google elevate allegations that Facebook and other platform are fundamentally brainwashing Americans and their tike , rewire their brains to swallow disinformation in ways that will have a far - reaching and injurious impacts on the social fabric .
“ This affect everyone , even if you do n’t use these products , ” Tristan Harris , now the executive director of the Center for Humane Technology , similarly severalize lawmakers last class . “ You still send your kids to a school where other masses believe in anti - vaccine conspiracy theories causes impact for your life , or other people voting in your election . ”
The polarisation of Americans , Harris added , “ is really part of the business model . ”
Zuckerberg ’s effort tohold himself upas some sort of 21st one C James Madisonhaven’tgone over so well . Perhaps because he lack theeloquenceand stature of Justice Louis Brandeis . Maybe his personal conundrums simply are n’t as rotund as the poor , persecutedGerman newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger . Nor his lawyer , Andrew Hamilton , who surmise the very purpose of “ speaking and writing verity ” is to expose and fight back “ tyrannical power . ” What has Zuckerberg ever done that was gay ?
Even porn king Larry Flynt , who managed to balance being an exuberantly wealthy businessman and a persecuted free - pressure matinee idol simultaneously , never debased himself by suckling at the teat of top executive .
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