In a recent revelation, it has been disclosed that Meta Platforms Inc. META CEO Mark Zuckerberg went ahead with a social media post despite his PR team’s objections, causing a stir within the company.
What Happened: In September 2021, Zuckerberg’s PR team was thrown into a frenzy when he insisted on responding to a New York Times article about a Facebook strategy, internally termed “Project Amplify,” that promoted positive stories about the company.
The strategy also involved Zuckerberg posting more light-hearted content to improve his image, reported Business Insider.
Despite the PR team’s efforts to dissuade him, Zuckerberg went ahead with his plan to post about the hydrofoil, which was mistakenly referred to as an “electric surfboard” in the article.
These internal text exchanges have now come to light as part of lawsuits filed by various states over Meta’s handling of child and teen safety concerns.
The texts reveal the PR team’s frustration at being unable to control the CEO and their belief that his actions could potentially harm the company. The exchanges also provide an inside look at the orchestrated machinations of Zuckerberg’s social presence.
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One of the team members, John Pinette, who was Facebook’s head of communications at the time, expressed his willingness to go along with Zuckerberg’s plan.
He wrote, “I’m really eager to just do whatever he wants at this point. My spine has been surgically removed.” Pinette left Facebook just over three months later.
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Why It Matters: Zuckerberg’s actions have been under scrutiny in recent years, particularly concerning the safety of children and teens on Meta’s platforms. In January, Zuckerberg apologized to the families of children who were victims of abuse on social media platforms.
This came after a whistleblower at Meta told Congress that Instagram was not doing enough to protect young people from online harassment.
Earlier that month, Meta was accused of putting growth ahead of children’s safety in a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleged that Meta knew about a significant amount of inappropriate and sexually explicit content on its platforms.
However, the concerns about Meta’s handling of child safety issues have only intensified, with the EU now investigating Meta over concerns that its platforms are addictive for children and teens.
Despite the absence of nudity or illegal content, there was evidence that some parents were aware that this was resulting in adults exploiting children for profit.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Anthony Quintano on Flickr
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