Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recently rejected a US lawmaker’s call to break his company, saying he’s not going to sell WhatsApp or Instagram at any cost. He also said the size of the social media giant was actually a benefit to its users and the security of the democratic process.
Senator Josh Hawley recently tweeted that he met Zuckerberg during his visit to Washington, DC on Thursday, and asked him to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.
Hawley wrote on twitter: “Just finished meeting with @facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Had a frank conversation. Challenged him to do two things to show FB is serious about bias, privacy & competition. 1) Sell WhatsApp & Instagram 2) Submit to independent, third-party audit on censorship. He said no to both.”
During his meeting with Zuckerberg, Sen. Hawley challenged him to do two things: 1. Sell WhatsApp & Instagram. 2. Submit to independent, third-party audit on censorship. He said no to both.
— Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) September 20, 2019
"I think until Facebook shows that its willing to take real action then it’s just talk." pic.twitter.com/EWHYY0yEHh
This is Facebook CEO’s first public trip to Washington since he testified before House and Senate committees in April last year over Cambridge Analytica data scandal affecting 87 million users globally.
According to media reports, Zuckerberg met several lawmakers this time and discussions included allegations that Facebook curtails conservative speech.
Regarding the reports to break Facebook, Company Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg recently said that it won’t serve any purpose.
She said “You could break us up, you could break other tech companies up, but you actually don’t address the underlying issues people are concerned about.”
Several US senators have called for breaking up the social network amid repeated data breaches and privacy violations on the platform.
