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| Zuckerberg: My Facebook manifesto to re-boot globalisation | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Mark Zuckerberg has revealed deep-seated concerns that the tide is turning against globalisation. | Mark Zuckerberg has revealed deep-seated concerns that the tide is turning against globalisation. |
| In an interview with the BBC, the Facebook founder said that fake news, polarised views and "filter bubbles" were damaging "common understanding". | In an interview with the BBC, the Facebook founder said that fake news, polarised views and "filter bubbles" were damaging "common understanding". |
| He said people had been left behind by global growth, sparking demands to "withdraw" from the "connected world". | He said people had been left behind by global growth, sparking demands to "withdraw" from the "connected world". |
| In a call to action, he said people must not "sit around and be upset", but act to build "social infrastructures". | In a call to action, he said people must not "sit around and be upset", but act to build "social infrastructures". |
| "When I started Facebook, the mission of connecting the world was not controversial," he told me. | "When I started Facebook, the mission of connecting the world was not controversial," he told me. |
| "It was as if it was a default assumption that people had; every year the world got more connected and that seems like the direction things were heading in. | "It was as if it was a default assumption that people had; every year the world got more connected and that seems like the direction things were heading in. |
| "Now that vision is becoming more controversial." | "Now that vision is becoming more controversial." |
| Losing hope | Losing hope |
| He told the BBC: "There are people around the world that feel left behind by globalisation and the rapid changes that have happened, and there are movements as a result to withdraw from some of that global connection." | He told the BBC: "There are people around the world that feel left behind by globalisation and the rapid changes that have happened, and there are movements as a result to withdraw from some of that global connection." |
| Mr Zuckerberg's interview comes alongside the publication of a 5,500-word letter he has written about the future of Facebook and the global economy. | Mr Zuckerberg's interview comes alongside the publication of a 5,500-word letter he has written about the future of Facebook and the global economy. |
| In it Mr Zuckerberg quotes Abraham Lincoln who spoke of acting "in concert", and talks about "spiritual needs", civic engagement and says that many people have "lost hope for the future". | In it Mr Zuckerberg quotes Abraham Lincoln who spoke of acting "in concert", and talks about "spiritual needs", civic engagement and says that many people have "lost hope for the future". |
| "For a couple of decades, may be longer, people have really sold this idea that as the world comes together everything is going to get better," he said. | "For a couple of decades, may be longer, people have really sold this idea that as the world comes together everything is going to get better," he said. |
| Ahmed: Zuckerberg lays out his vision | Ahmed: Zuckerberg lays out his vision |
| Zuckerberg's manifesto on Facebook and the future | Zuckerberg's manifesto on Facebook and the future |
| Read highlights from the interview with Facebook's founder | Read highlights from the interview with Facebook's founder |
| Facebook AI 'will identify terrorists' | Facebook AI 'will identify terrorists' |
| "I think the reality is that over the long term that will be true, and there are pieces of infrastructure that we can build to make sure that a global community works for everyone. | "I think the reality is that over the long term that will be true, and there are pieces of infrastructure that we can build to make sure that a global community works for everyone. |
| "But I do think there are some ways in which this idea of globalisation didn't take into account some of the challenges it was going to create for people, and now I think some of what you see is a reaction to that. | "But I do think there are some ways in which this idea of globalisation didn't take into account some of the challenges it was going to create for people, and now I think some of what you see is a reaction to that. |
| "If people are asking the question, is the direction for humanity to come together more or not? I think that answer is clearly yes. | "If people are asking the question, is the direction for humanity to come together more or not? I think that answer is clearly yes. |
| "But we have to make sure the global community works for everyone. It is not just automatically going to happen. | "But we have to make sure the global community works for everyone. It is not just automatically going to happen. |
| "All these different kinds of institutions, whether they are governments, or non-profits, or companies, need to do their part in building this infrastructure to empower people so that it creates opportunities for everyone, not just some people. | "All these different kinds of institutions, whether they are governments, or non-profits, or companies, need to do their part in building this infrastructure to empower people so that it creates opportunities for everyone, not just some people. |
| "If you are upset about the direction things are going in, I hope you don't just sit around and be upset, but you feel urgent about building the long term infrastructure that needs to get built," Mr Zuckerberg said. | "If you are upset about the direction things are going in, I hope you don't just sit around and be upset, but you feel urgent about building the long term infrastructure that needs to get built," Mr Zuckerberg said. |
| Global challenges | Global challenges |
| I asked him whether he felt President Trump agreed with his view that "bringing people together" and "connecting the world" would lead to greater progress. | I asked him whether he felt President Trump agreed with his view that "bringing people together" and "connecting the world" would lead to greater progress. |
| Mr Zuckerberg did not, famously, attend the round-table of technology leaders hosted by the new president. | Mr Zuckerberg did not, famously, attend the round-table of technology leaders hosted by the new president. |
| "I don't think I am going to speak to that directly," he answered carefully. "You can talk to him, you can look at what he has said to get a sense of that. | "I don't think I am going to speak to that directly," he answered carefully. "You can talk to him, you can look at what he has said to get a sense of that. |
| "The thing that I will say is that a lot of folks will look at this through the lens of one or two events, and I really do think this is a broader trend. | "The thing that I will say is that a lot of folks will look at this through the lens of one or two events, and I really do think this is a broader trend. |
| "I have been talking about this for a long time, since before recent elections both across Europe and Asia and the US. | "I have been talking about this for a long time, since before recent elections both across Europe and Asia and the US. |
| "A lot of today's biggest opportunities will come from bringing people together - whether that is spreading prosperity or freedom, or accelerating science, or promoting peace and understanding." | "A lot of today's biggest opportunities will come from bringing people together - whether that is spreading prosperity or freedom, or accelerating science, or promoting peace and understanding." |
| Mr Zuckerberg said: "A lot of challenges we face today are also entirely global - fighting climate change or ending terrorism, or ending pandemics, or when a civil war in one country leads to a refugee crisis across different continents. | Mr Zuckerberg said: "A lot of challenges we face today are also entirely global - fighting climate change or ending terrorism, or ending pandemics, or when a civil war in one country leads to a refugee crisis across different continents. |
| "These are inherently global things and require a different level of infrastructure than we've had historically." | "These are inherently global things and require a different level of infrastructure than we've had historically." |
| Political ambitions? | Political ambitions? |
| Would you like to meet President Trump? I asked. | Would you like to meet President Trump? I asked. |
| "I would like that not be the focus of this. I don't really have much comment on that. It somewhat detracts from the focus of what we are trying to do here." | "I would like that not be the focus of this. I don't really have much comment on that. It somewhat detracts from the focus of what we are trying to do here." |
| There has been speculation that Mr Zuckerberg could be contemplating a political career, and even suggestions that he will run for US president in 2020 - rumours he has flatly denied. | There has been speculation that Mr Zuckerberg could be contemplating a political career, and even suggestions that he will run for US president in 2020 - rumours he has flatly denied. |
| I said the political tone of the manifesto would do little to dampen speculation about where he sees himself longer term. | I said the political tone of the manifesto would do little to dampen speculation about where he sees himself longer term. |
| Could he imagine himself going into politics? "I am not doing that now, it's not the plan," he said. "The thing I really care about is connecting the world." | Could he imagine himself going into politics? "I am not doing that now, it's not the plan," he said. "The thing I really care about is connecting the world." |
| Facebook has been attacked for not doing enough to tackle "fake news" - untrue stories which claimed, for example, that the Pope backed Mr Trump - which have appeared prominently on its news feeds. | Facebook has been attacked for not doing enough to tackle "fake news" - untrue stories which claimed, for example, that the Pope backed Mr Trump - which have appeared prominently on its news feeds. |
| In Germany, there has been controversy after a Green MP was quoted in a Facebook post defending an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who had raped and murdered a German student. | In Germany, there has been controversy after a Green MP was quoted in a Facebook post defending an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who had raped and murdered a German student. |
| The MP, Renate Kuenast, had never said what was attributed to her by a right-wing extremist organisation. | The MP, Renate Kuenast, had never said what was attributed to her by a right-wing extremist organisation. |
| Ms Kuenast said she found it hard to accept that "Zuckerberg earns billions, shows off with all his charitable donations, and at the same time allows Facebook to become a tool of extremists". | Ms Kuenast said she found it hard to accept that "Zuckerberg earns billions, shows off with all his charitable donations, and at the same time allows Facebook to become a tool of extremists". |
| Mr Zuckerberg said he understood the importance of tackling fake news. | Mr Zuckerberg said he understood the importance of tackling fake news. |
| Freedom of opinion | Freedom of opinion |
| "Accuracy of information is very important," he said in the 5,500-word letter, published on Thursday. "We know there is misinformation and even outright hoax content on Facebook. | "Accuracy of information is very important," he said in the 5,500-word letter, published on Thursday. "We know there is misinformation and even outright hoax content on Facebook. |
| "We've made progress fighting hoaxes the way we fight spam, but we have more work to do. | "We've made progress fighting hoaxes the way we fight spam, but we have more work to do. |
| "We are proceeding carefully because there is not always a clear line between hoaxes, satire and opinion." | "We are proceeding carefully because there is not always a clear line between hoaxes, satire and opinion." |
| But Mr Zuckerberg added: "In a free society, it's important that people have the power to share their opinion, even if others think they're wrong. | But Mr Zuckerberg added: "In a free society, it's important that people have the power to share their opinion, even if others think they're wrong. |
| "Our approach will focus less on banning misinformation, and more on surfacing additional perspectives and information, including that fact checkers dispute an item's accuracy." | "Our approach will focus less on banning misinformation, and more on surfacing additional perspectives and information, including that fact checkers dispute an item's accuracy." |
| He told me that "polarisation and sensationalism" also undermined "common understanding". | He told me that "polarisation and sensationalism" also undermined "common understanding". |
| And he admitted that social media - which deals in short, often aggressive, messages - had been part of the problem. | And he admitted that social media - which deals in short, often aggressive, messages - had been part of the problem. |
| "In some places [it] could over simplify important and complex topics and may push us to have over simplified opinions of them," Mr Zuckerberg said. | "In some places [it] could over simplify important and complex topics and may push us to have over simplified opinions of them," Mr Zuckerberg said. |
| "And I think it is our responsibility to amplify the good effects and mitigate the negative ones so we can create a community that has a common understanding | "And I think it is our responsibility to amplify the good effects and mitigate the negative ones so we can create a community that has a common understanding |
| "There is a lot of research that shows we have the best discourse when we connect as whole people rather than just opinions. | "There is a lot of research that shows we have the best discourse when we connect as whole people rather than just opinions. |
| "If I get to know you on the values that we have in common or even the interests that we share it is a lot easier to have a debate about something that we disagree about productively than if we just meet and go head to head on something without understanding our common humanity." | "If I get to know you on the values that we have in common or even the interests that we share it is a lot easier to have a debate about something that we disagree about productively than if we just meet and go head to head on something without understanding our common humanity." |
| 'Setting an example' | 'Setting an example' |
| Some may argue there is a question of legitimacy here, that no one voted for Mark Zuckerberg and question his right to outline - and attempt to execute - a vision of the world. | Some may argue there is a question of legitimacy here, that no one voted for Mark Zuckerberg and question his right to outline - and attempt to execute - a vision of the world. |
| And what about those controversies over taxes paid, or privacy, or vast profits in an age when inequality is as much a factor behind the present dim view of many in the political and business establishment as any perceived failures of globalisation. | And what about those controversies over taxes paid, or privacy, or vast profits in an age when inequality is as much a factor behind the present dim view of many in the political and business establishment as any perceived failures of globalisation. |
| "There are a lot of areas that I know we need to improve and I appreciate the criticism and feedback and hope we can continue to do better on them," Mr Zuckerberg said, pointing out that he is donating 99% of his Facebook shares - worth £36bn ($45bn) - to the charitable foundation he runs with his wife, Priscilla Chan. | "There are a lot of areas that I know we need to improve and I appreciate the criticism and feedback and hope we can continue to do better on them," Mr Zuckerberg said, pointing out that he is donating 99% of his Facebook shares - worth £36bn ($45bn) - to the charitable foundation he runs with his wife, Priscilla Chan. |
| "Being a good corporate citizen is really important," he said. "We operate in a lot of different countries all around the world. | "Being a good corporate citizen is really important," he said. "We operate in a lot of different countries all around the world. |
| "We need to be help build those communities and that is what I am trying to do in my personal philanthropy - setting an example hopefully for other entrepreneurs who will build things in the future for how you should give back to the community and to the world. | "We need to be help build those communities and that is what I am trying to do in my personal philanthropy - setting an example hopefully for other entrepreneurs who will build things in the future for how you should give back to the community and to the world. |
| "I care deeply about all of this, and it is a work in progress." | "I care deeply about all of this, and it is a work in progress." |