Zuckerberg Says Polarization Existed Before Social-Media Platforms

By Bowdeya Tweh

Facebook's CEO offered a stiff rebuttal Thursday to claims that social-media platforms were driving polarization among users' world-wide, describing them as inaccurate.

"The division we see today is the result of a political and media environment that drives people apart," Mr. Zuckerberg said.

The social-media giant is trying to avoid criticism that it helps drive division among users, along political or other lines. Yet despite Mr. Zuckerberg's statements, Facebook has acknowledged that polarization on the platform has hurt engagement, and it has taken several steps to help improve the health of conversations.

The Wall Street Journal had reported (https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knew-calls-for-violence-plagued-groups-now-plans-overhaul-11612131374) that Facebook's internal research found that Facebook Groups in the U.S. had become a vector for the rabid partisanship and even calls for violence that inflamed the country after the election.

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March 25, 2021 13:24 ET (17:24 GMT)

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