Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, has declared his intention to stay politically neutral during the 2024 election cycle.
In a letter to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Monday, Zuckerberg emphasized his aim to avoid any political bias or involvement, stating, “My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another — or to even appear to be playing a role,” according to Business Insider.
Zuckerberg also confirmed that he will not be contributing to election infrastructure this year, unlike in 2020 when he and his wife donated $400 million. These contributions, dubbed “Zuckerbucks” by Republicans, were criticized for supposedly benefiting Democrats. However, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that these private donations did not favor Democrats.
Zuckerberg reflected on Meta’s past decisions, including content moderation pressures from the Biden administration and the controversial suppression of a New York Post story about Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020, which he now views as a mistake.
This announcement comes amid increased scrutiny of tech companies’ roles in politics. Donald Trump recently claimed Zuckerberg assured him of no support for Democrats in 2024, following an assassination attempt on Trump. Trump also criticized Zuckerberg for a $2 million donation linked to the Georgia elections board, suggesting it violated state law.
The political landscape is further complicated by figures like Elon Musk, who has recently supported Trump despite previously leaning moderate Democrat. Musk’s political stance was discussed in an interview with Trump, covering various topics from AI to electric vehicles. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris’s campaign has criticized Musk for using his platform to advance Trump’s agenda, highlighting the deepening political divides and the significant influence of tech leaders.
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