Cruz Hammers Zuckerberg on Left Wing Bias at Facebook

Sen Cruz Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Mr Zuckerberg thank ░░░░░░░░ for being here Mr ░░░░░░░░ does Facebook consider itself ░░░░░░░░ neutral public forum Mr ░░░░░░░░ Senator we consider ourselves ░░░░░░░░ be a platform for ░░░░░░░░ ideas Sen Cruz Let ░░░░░░░░ ask the question again ░░░░░░░░ Facebook consider itself to ░░░░░░░░ a neutral public forum ░░░░░░░░ representatives of your company ░░░░░░░░ given conflicting answers on ░░░░░░░░ Are you a First ░░░░░░░░ speaker expressing your views ░░░░░░░░ are you a neutral ░░░░░░░░ forum allowing everyone to ░░░░░░░░ Mr Zuckerberg Senator here ░░░░░░░░ how we think about ░░░░░░░░ I don t believe ░░░░░░░░ there is certain content ░░░░░░░░ clearly we do not ░░░░░░░░ Right Hate speech terrorist ░░░░░░░░ nudity anything that makes ░░░░░░░░ feel unsafe in the ░░░░░░░░ From that perspective that ░░░░░░░░ why we generally try ░░░░░░░░ refer to what we ░░░░░░░░ as a platform for ░░░░░░░░ ideas Sen Cruz Because ░░░░░░░░ time is constrained it ░░░░░░░░ just a simple question ░░░░░░░░ predicate for Section 230 ░░░░░░░░ under the CDA is ░░░░░░░░ you are a neutral ░░░░░░░░ forum Do you consider ░░░░░░░░ a neutral public forum ░░░░░░░░ are you engaged in ░░░░░░░░ speech Which is your ░░░░░░░░ under the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg Well Senator our ░░░░░░░░ is certainly not to ░░░░░░░░ in political speech I ░░░░░░░░ not that familiar with ░░░░░░░░ specific legal language of ░░░░░░░░ law that you speak ░░░░░░░░ so I would need ░░░░░░░░ follow up with you ░░░░░░░░ that I m just ░░░░░░░░ to lay out how ░░░░░░░░ I think about this ░░░░░░░░ Cruz Mr Zuckerberg I ░░░░░░░░ say there are a ░░░░░░░░ many Americans who I ░░░░░░░░ are deeply concerned that ░░░░░░░░ and other tech companies ░░░░░░░░ engaged in a pervasive ░░░░░░░░ of bias and political ░░░░░░░░ There have been numerous ░░░░░░░░ with Facebook In May ░░░░░░░░ 2016 Gizmodo reported that ░░░░░░░░ had purposefully and routinely ░░░░░░░░ conservative stories from trending ░░░░░░░░ including stories about CPAC ░░░░░░░░ stories about Mitt Romney ░░░░░░░░ stories about the Lois ░░░░░░░░ IRS scandal including stories ░░░░░░░░ Glenn Beck In addition ░░░░░░░░ that Facebook has initially ░░░░░░░░ down the Chick Fil ░░░░░░░░ Appreciation Day page has ░░░░░░░░ a post of a ░░░░░░░░ News reporter has blocked ░░░░░░░░ two dozen Catholic pages ░░░░░░░░ most recently blocked Trump ░░░░░░░░ Diamond and Silk s ░░░░░░░░ with 1 2 million ░░░░░░░░ followers after determining their ░░░░░░░░ and brand were unsafe ░░░░░░░░ the community To a ░░░░░░░░ many Americans that appears ░░░░░░░░ be a pervasive pattern ░░░░░░░░ political bias Do you ░░░░░░░░ with that assessment Mr ░░░░░░░░ Senator let me say ░░░░░░░░ few things about this ░░░░░░░░ I understand where that ░░░░░░░░ is coming from because ░░░░░░░░ and the tech industry ░░░░░░░░ located in Silicon Valley ░░░░░░░░ is an extremely Left ░░░░░░░░ place And this is ░░░░░░░░ a concern that I ░░░░░░░░ and that I try ░░░░░░░░ root out in the ░░░░░░░░ is making sure that ░░░░░░░░ don t have any ░░░░░░░░ in the work that ░░░░░░░░ do and I think ░░░░░░░░ is a fair concern ░░░░░░░░ people would at least ░░░░░░░░ about Sen Cruz So ░░░░░░░░ me ask this question ░░░░░░░░ you aware of any ░░░░░░░░ or page that has ░░░░░░░░ taken down from Planned ░░░░░░░░ Mr Zuckerberg Senator I ░░░░░░░░ not But let me ░░░░░░░░ can I finish Sen ░░░░░░░░ How about MoveOn org ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg Sorry Sen Cruz ░░░░░░░░ about MoveOn org Mr ░░░░░░░░ I m not specifically ░░░░░░░░ of those Sen Cruz ░░░░░░░░ about any Democratic candidate ░░░░░░░░ office Mr Zuckerberg I ░░░░░░░░ not specifically aware I ░░░░░░░░ I m not sure ░░░░░░░░ Cruz In your testimony ░░░░░░░░ say that you have ░░░░░░░░ 000 to 20 000 ░░░░░░░░ working on security and ░░░░░░░░ review Do you know ░░░░░░░░ political orientation of those ░░░░░░░░ 000 to 20 000 ░░░░░░░░ engaged in content review ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg No Senator We ░░░░░░░░ not generally ask people ░░░░░░░░ their political orientation when ░░░░░░░░ re joining the company ░░░░░░░░ Cruz So as CEO ░░░░░░░░ you made hiring or ░░░░░░░░ decisions based on political ░░░░░░░░ or what candidates they ░░░░░░░░ Mr Zuckerberg No Sen ░░░░░░░░ Why was Palmer Luckey ░░░░░░░░ Mr Zuckerberg That is ░░░░░░░░ specific personnel matter that ░░░░░░░░ like it would be ░░░░░░░░ to speak to here ░░░░░░░░ Cruz You made a ░░░░░░░░ representation that you didn ░░░░░░░░ make decisions based on ░░░░░░░░ views Is that accurate ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg I can commit ░░░░░░░░ it was not because ░░░░░░░░ a political view Sen ░░░░░░░░ Do you know of ░░░░░░░░ 15 000 to 20 ░░░░░░░░ people engaged in content ░░░░░░░░ how many if any ░░░░░░░░ ever supported financially a ░░░░░░░░ candidate for office Mr ░░░░░░░░ Senator I do not ░░░░░░░░ that Sen Cruz Your ░░░░░░░░ says It is not ░░░░░░░░ that we just connect ░░░░░░░░ We have to make ░░░░░░░░ those connections are positive ░░░░░░░░ says We have to ░░░░░░░░ sure people aren t ░░░░░░░░ their voice to hurt ░░░░░░░░ or spread misinformation We ░░░░░░░░ a responsibility not just ░░░░░░░░ build tools but to ░░░░░░░░ sure those tools are ░░░░░░░░ for good Mr Zuckerberg ░░░░░░░░ you feel it s ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to assess users ░░░░░░░░ they are good and ░░░░░░░░ connections or ones those ░░░░░░░░ 000 to 20 000 ░░░░░░░░ deem unacceptable or deplorable ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg Senator you re ░░░░░░░░ about me personally Sen ░░░░░░░░ Facebook Mr Zuckerberg Senator ░░░░░░░░ think that there are ░░░░░░░░ number of things that ░░░░░░░░ would all agree are ░░░░░░░░ bad Foreign interference in ░░░░░░░░ elections terrorism self harm ░░░░░░░░ are things Sen Cruz ░░░░░░░░ m talking about censorship ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg Oh well I ░░░░░░░░ that you would probably ░░░░░░░░ we should remove terrorist ░░░░░░░░ from the service So ░░░░░░░░ I agree I think ░░░░░░░░ clearly bad activity that ░░░░░░░░ want to get down ░░░░░░░░ we are generally proud ░░░░░░░░ how well we do ░░░░░░░░ that Now what I ░░░░░░░░ say and I do ░░░░░░░░ to get this in ░░░░░░░░ the end here is ░░░░░░░░ I am very committed ░░░░░░░░ making sure that Facebook ░░░░░░░░ a platform for all ░░░░░░░░ That is a very ░░░░░░░░ founding principle of what ░░░░░░░░ do We re proud ░░░░░░░░ the discourse and different ░░░░░░░░ that people can share ░░░░░░░░ the service and that ░░░░░░░░ something that as long ░░░░░░░░ I m running the ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ committed to making sure ░░░░░░░░ the case Sen Cruz ░░░░░░░░ you.”