Zuckerberg fires back at Trump's 'collusion' claims, says Facebook is what 'all ideas looks like'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(AP/Reuters)
Mark Zuckerberg responded Wednesday to President Trump’s claim that Facebook “was always anti-Trump.”
Trump blasted the network and “fake news” outlets on Twitter earlier in the day after Facebook announced plans to give Congress political ads on the site that were purchased by Russian operatives.
The Facebook founder and CEO wrote the response on his Facebook page saying the platform was meant to be a place where everyone had a voice and could share their ideas.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Trump says Facebook is against him. Liberals say we helped Trump. Both sides are upset about ideas and content they don’t like. That’s what running a platform for all ideas looks like,” Zuckerberg wrote.
He then highlighted what “the facts suggest” was Facebook’s role in the 2016 election.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WARNED MARK ZUCKERBERG ABOUT FAKE NEWS ON FACEBOOK, REPORT SAYS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Because of Facebook, he said more people were able to have discussions about the issues, which might not have taken place offline.
Zuckerberg also said that it was easier for candidates to speak directly to their constituents who followed them on the website.
Additionally, he said the campaigns spent “hundreds of millions advertising to get their messages out even further,” which he said was “1000x more than any problematic ads we’ve found.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The comment was made in reference to $100,000 worth of advertising money Facebook said they discovered, which was reportedly used to buy almost 3,000 fraudulent ads tied to the 2016 presidential election.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain. On Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
Zuckerberg also cited the company’s “get out the vote” campaign, which he said helped at least two million people register to vote.
“To put that in perspective, that’s bigger than the get out the vote efforts of the Trump and Clinton campaigns put together,” he said. “That’s a big deal.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'COLLUSION?' TRUMP SLAMS FACEBOOK, 'FAKE NEWS' MEDIA FOR CONSPIRING AGAINST HIM
He ended by saying he regretted not taking Facebook’s role in the election more seriously and that the company plans to continue being a “force for good in democracy.”
“After the election, I made a comment that I thought the idea misinformation on Facebook changed the outcome of the election was a crazy idea,” Zuckerberg said. “Calling that crazy was dismissive and I regret it. This is too important an issue to be dismissive.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“But the data we have has always shown that our broader impact – from giving people a voice to enabling candidates to communicate directly to helping millions of people vote – played a far bigger role in this election,” he said.