FILE- In this May 1, 2018, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the keynote speech at F8, Facebook's developer conference, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
For Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s relentless string of privacy scandals are a laughing matter.
The 34 year-old techie was chuckling onstage at Facebook’s annual developers conference Tuesday as he referred to the social network’s abysmal reputation for protecting user privacy.
“I know that we don’t exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly,” a grinning Zuckerberg said, receiving crickets from the audience. “I get that a lot of people aren’t sure that we are serious about this,” he continued, finally getting a laugh from the crowd.
The chief executive made the awkward cracks while unveiling the company’s new “privacy-focused vision” for the $552 billion company, which has been battling criticisms of security hacks, misuse of users’ data, peddling in hate speech and fueling misinformation.
The redesign is geared toward nudging users to spend more time in small, intimate groups — including through private communication tools like Facebook’s various messaging apps.
Other changes include continuing to increase its focus on disappearing stories, and discouraging users from competing for likes on Instagram.
“We don’t want Instagram to feel like a competition,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in announcing plans to test a feature that will hide the number of “likes” a photo gets.
“We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about,” Mosseri added.
Overall, the changes de-emphasize Facebook’s flagship feature, News Feed, which has seen slowing growth in the US and Europe.
The company has also vowed to up encryption on its messaging apps — from Facebook Messenger to Instagram Direct — and to double down on security overall, including reducing hacking.
Zuckerberg and top lieutenant Sheryl Sandberg, have apologized repeatedly over the past year for Facebook’s ever-expanding list of mishaps including letting a third-party political consulting firm hoover up users’ data without permission and live-streaming a mass-shooting.
Last week, the company said it is setting aside $3 billion to cover a possible fine from the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations.
Facebook shares finished the day down 0.7 percent, at $193.40.
With Post wires
This story originally appeared in the New York Post.
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