Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday vowed the social network will actively fight against extremism and violence, after what happened in Charlottesville over the weekend and in the following days.
“We aren’t born hating each other,” Zuckerberg said. “We aren’t born with such extreme views. We may not be able to solve every problem, but we all have a responsibility to do what we can. I believe we can do something about the parts of our culture that teach a person to hate someone else.”
He went on to promise that Facebook will step up its fight against hate crimes and acts of terrorism, including what happened in Charlottesville.
“With the potential for more rallies, we’re watching the situation closely and will take down threats of physical harm,” the CEO said. “We won’t always be perfect, but you have my commitment that we’ll keep working to make Facebook a place where everyone can feel safe.”
Considering Zuckerberg’s rumored political ambition, his letter can also be seen as a strong statement against the current president.
The Trump administration dealt with the situation very poorly, sparking more controversies in the days that followed. Trump’s unscripted remarks were anything but a strong condemnation of what happened, and he received plenty of criticism as a result.
Zuckerberg’s remarks also follow reports that detailed an internal Facebook event related to racism and sexism online.
Earlier this week,Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook took down an anonymous internal forum late last year, including sexist and racist comments.
The group, named Facebook Anon, was apparently populated by many Trump supporters, these reports explained.
