Trump’s Post Does Not Violate Facebook Policy Says Zuckerberg

• Trump’s Post Does Not Violate Facebook Policy Says Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, has said President Donald Trump’s post flagged on Twitter did not violate Facebook’s policy, hence why it was left on the social media platform.

In a post published by the CEO on his Facebook page, he said “Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric,” Zuckerberg said in his post. “But I’m responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression.”

On Thursday, President Trump had tweeted that “I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Fre, get his act together and bring the City under control or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right.”

“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!,” Trump wrote on Facebook and Twitter.

However, while Twitter placed a label warning users of the President’s violent comments, Facebook seems to take no offense as the posts were left on the social media platform.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, the social media giant decided to leave the post because Facebook’s position is that it “should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies.”

“I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this, but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open,” Zuckerberg stated.

Zuckerberg added that Facebook’s policies regarding the incitement of violence allow discussion around the use of state force.

“We think people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force, although I think today’s situation raises important questions about what potential limits of that discussion should be.”