Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Ahead of 2020, FB Ensnared in Heated Political Climate
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
October 15, 2019

Share

Mark Zuckerberg defended meetings he’s reportedly had with conservative leaders after #DeleteFacebook began trending on social media.

“Meeting new people and hearing from a wide range of viewpoints is part of learning. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do!” — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Politico reported this week that the Facebook CEO held private meetings with, among others, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Conservatives have long accused Facebook of suppressing conservative political view and the company has tried to dispel that belief.
Zuckerberg says he meets with many people “across the spectrum on lots of different issues.”
“Meeting new people and hearing from a wide range of viewpoints is part of learning,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. “If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do!”
Facebook has fought allegations since the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election that it’s not doing enough to stop bogus accounts and political ads on its platform.

Facebook Faces the Risk of More Accusations of Political Bias

Those charges are surfacing again ahead of the 2020 election, with Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren demanding that Facebook remove Trump campaign ads that make false claims.
After Facebook refused to remove the ad saying that it’s not a political gatekeeper, Warren paid for a fake political ad that claimed Zuckerberg and Facebook have endorsed President Donald Trump.

The ad states in the next sentence that it’s not true.
Pressure on the social media platform is escalating as the 2020 general election approaches.
Biden said that he’d be open to breaking up Facebook. Sen. Kamala Harris of California has said she’s would consider new controls on the tech giant.
Facebook faces the risk of more accusations of political bias by blocking or suspending accounts, but also of creating a toxic online environment by doing nothing to remove bogus political ads and groups.
Research has revealed that millions of people get at least some political news on social platforms. A Pew Research Center survey found that a majority of American adults believe the news they see on such platforms are largely inaccurate.

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

DON'T MISS

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

UP NEXT

NFL Postpones Tush Push Decision but Passes Other Rule Changes, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

March Madness: It’s South Carolina vs. Texas and UCLA vs. UConn in Women’s Final Four

UP NEXT

What to Watch in Tuesday’s Big Elections in Wisconsin and Florida

UP NEXT

Major Layoffs Begin at Health Agencies That Track Disease and Regulate Food

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

3 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

3 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

3 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

3 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

4 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

4 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

4 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

4 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

4 hours ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

5 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for the Food and Drug Administration in its crackdown on sweet-flavored vaping products fo...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

2 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
2 hours ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

3 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

3 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

3 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

3 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

West Fresno satellite campus of Fresno City College
4 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend