Scientists funded by Zuckerberg sent him a letter calling Facebook’s practices ‘antithetical’ to his philanthropic mission

More than 140 scientists funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative urged Mark Zuckerberg to enforce stricter policies around the spread of misinformation and incitements to violence.

By Nitasha Tiku
6/6/2020, 2:21:55 p.m.

More than 140 scientists funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) — a philanthropic organization founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan — sent Zuckerberg a letter Saturday calling the social media site’s lax policy enforcement around inaccurate information and incendiary language contrary to CZI’s mission to “build a healthier, just, and more inclusive future.”

The list of signatories includes professors from more than 60 leading research institutions, including Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), as well as one Nobel laureate.

“As scientists, we are dedicated to investigating ways to better our world,” the letter says. “The spread of deliberate misinformation and divisive language is directly antithetical to this goal and we are therefore deeply concerned at the stance Facebook has taken,” on policing content.

The letter calls out one policy stance in particular: Zuckerberg’s decision to allow President Trump to post, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” on Facebook’s platform, a reference to the protests around the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The scientists argue that the message clearly flouts the company’s rules against inciting violence.

“Thus, like many, we were disconcerted to see that Facebook has not followed their own policies in regards to President Trump,” the letter says.

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