Mark Zuckerberg Claims 2018 Will Be The Year He “Fixes” Facebook
Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg is famous for his big New Year’s resolutions that have, in previous years, included such things as trying to learn Mandarin, finish a book a fortnight, and even building an AI-enabled house for himself.
However, his goal for 2018 appears to be to “fixing” his little billionaire baby, Facebook.
In a New Year’s post on Friday last, the 33-year-old vowed to remove hate posts from the social media platform and make users’ time on it more productive.
His post (which you can read in full at the bottom of this article) read: “The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do — whether it’s protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent.
“My personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues. We won’t prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools. If we’re successful this year then we’ll end 2018 on a much better trajectory.”
Zuckerberg’s post appears to try and counter criticisms of the platform over the past 12 months and concerns by advertisers. Primarily, many are concerned about the power and reach of these huge tech companies such as Facebook and Google.
Those concerns, among other things, have included speculation that Russia used Facebook to try and change the outcome of the Presidential elections in late 2016.
A recent investigation also revealed that Facebook showed left-leaning news reports in people’s news feeds over more conservative viewpoints. While Facebook’s video platform, Facebook Live, reportedly live-streamed a number of heinous acts that included, among other things, shootings, murders and even suicides.
Zuckerberg’s New Year’s post read in full:
Every year I take on a personal challenge to learn something new. I’ve visited every US state, run 365 miles, built an AI for my home, read 25 books, and learned Mandarin.
I started doing these challenges in 2009. That first year the economy was in a deep recession and Facebook was not yet profitable. We needed to get serious about making sure Facebook had a sustainable business model. It was a serious year, and I wore a tie every day as a reminder.
Today feels a lot like that first year. The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do — whether it’s protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent.
My personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues. We won’t prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools. If we’re successful this year then we’ll end 2018 on a much better trajectory.
This may not seem like a personal challenge on its face, but I think I’ll learn more by focusing intensely on these issues than I would by doing something completely separate. These issues touch on questions of history, civics, political philosophy, media, government, and of course technology. I’m looking forward to bringing groups of experts together to discuss and help work through these topics.
For example, one of the most interesting questions in technology right now is about centralization vs decentralization. A lot of us got into technology because we believe it can be a decentralizing force that puts more power in people’s hands. (The first four words of Facebook’s mission have always been “give people the power”.) Back in the 1990s and 2000s, most people believed technology would be a decentralizing force.
But today, many people have lost faith in that promise. With the rise of a small number of big tech companies — and governments using technology to watch their citizens — many people now believe technology only centralizes power rather than decentralizes it.
There are important counter-trends to this –like encryption and cryptocurrency — that take power from centralized systems and put it back into people’s hands. But they come with the risk of being harder to control. I’m interested to go deeper and study the positive and negative aspects of these technologies, and how best to use them in our services.
This will be a serious year of self-improvement and I’m looking forward to learning from working to fix our issues together.
Latest News
303 MullenLowe Sydney Confirms Bart Pawlak As New ECD
303 MullenLowe Sydney has appointed accomplished creative leader Bart Pawlak, as its new ECD. Pawlak has been working with the agency over the last four months, leading the department over this period. Pawlak is an awarded creative director and writer with two decades of experience working within the major advertising networks, most recently as executive […]
“We’ve Seen Lots Of Doggers!” Weather Reporter Hilariously Muddles Dogs & Joggers
The perils of live TV were once again on show on the venerable BBC yesterday when a weather reporter managed to mangle joggers with dog walkers and came up with doggers. BBC weather reporter Carol Kirkwood was reporting live from the beautiful Greenwich Park in London yesterday when she managed the red-faced clanger. “Good morning […]
Women in Media: A Look Back At The Best Ads Championing Equality
The Women in Media Awards has always been about recognising the power of individuals. But B&T also shines a light on the best use of creativity and advertising to champion the promotion of women. It’s a relatively new category, ‘Best Ad Campaign – Championing the Equality Cause’, but its perhaps one of the most important […]
PETA Lashes OOH Company For Banning Graphic Billboard
There's just no in-between with PETA, it's either naked supermodels or graphic, bloodied animal parts. The latter here.
Revealed: oOH!media’s Discount Deals by As Much as 95% During COVID-19
CV-19's the perfect time to (A) pick youself up some discounted outdoor inventory and (B) a 72-pack of Costco loo rolls.
Calling All Prize Seekers! Find Out How To Get Your Hands On The Newest B&T Award
Sure, they're physically a little ugly to look at, but nothing carries the cachet, prestige & raw spunk of a B&T Award.
Enigma Acquires Creative Agency Disciple
Enigma has acquired creative agency Disciple, with Judas Iscariot announced as executive creative director.
Alison Croggon Appointed Arts Editor At The Saturday Paper
The Saturday Paper now allows you to read about the end of the bourgeois capitalist system & the latest arts news.
Howzat? You Can Now Smell Like Warnie, As Spin Ace Launches Own Fragrance
Australia's favourite philanderer, gigilo & hair plug recipient, Shane Warne, has unveiled his very own eau de toilet.
IAS Announces Google Ads Integration
Just for clarification, IAS is pronounced I-A-S and not eye-arse as some B&T journalists continue to mispronounce.
Sunday TV Wrap: Ninja Clambers Over The Million-Mark
Ninja Warrior wraps up tonight for yet another season with, once again, no appearance of any actual ninjas to report.
Q&A With Rare Co-Founder And Google Creative Director Tara McKenty
B&T has a fireside chat with Tara McKenty and burns off both eyebrows after overdoing with the firelighters & metho.
Telling Truth To Power Is One Of The Bravest Things We Can Do, Says Katie Rigg-Smith
When Mindshare's Katie Rigg-Smith speaks, you can bet B&T listens. Doubly so our editor, who's deaf as a post.
Commercial Radio Australia Unveils New Campaign Ahead Of Ratings Return
Commercial Radio Australia unveils campaign that doesn't feaure Alan singing The Buggles' 'Video Killed The Radio Star'.
Ad Standards And AANA Set To Merge Boards
It's one less Christmas card this year as Ad Standards and the AANA enter into a dalliance of sorts.
Burger King Turns Footage Of Drunk & Unruly Customers Into Hilarious Ad For Its Home Delivery Service
Glorious new campaign confirms nothing says "best night ever" quite like passing out in a Burger King eatery at 11.45pm.
AANA: 68% Of Aussie SMBs & 87% Of Large Businesses Still Have Marketing Dollars To Spend In 2020
This report includes informative graphs, bar and pie charts, too; and even then it remains largely confusing.
Nine Goes Virtual & Brings 2021 Upfronts Forward
Nine announces plans for 2021 virtual upfronts. So, really, you only have yourself to blame if the catering's terrible.
Action-Packed Police Recruitment Ad Pulled For Looking Nothing Like Actual Police Work
Think a career in the police force is all shooting baddies & fraternising with hot colleagues? Take a cold shower here.
Optus Offers Victorians Free Access To Optus Sport
Live in Victoria? Forced back into lockdown? Loathe sport? Well, take absolutely no comfort from this news whatsoever.
Torrens University Australia Launches ‘Career Crush’ Via VCCP Sydney & Lash
Torrens University Australia has launched ‘Career Crush’ via VCCP Sydney and Lash, to help match students with a career they’ll love. Career Crush is an online quiz that determines prospective students’ personal strengths, passions and aspirations to match them with the careers and courses they’re most compatible with. One of the toughest decisions young people […]
Is Imitating An Accent Racist? 23% Of Aussies Think So
Study reveals it's no longer acceptable to call a colleague a "flamin' galah" or announce that "a dingo's got my baby".
Audi Unveils Latest Campaign ‘Raised By Racecars’ Via The Monkeys
Who doesn't love new work from The Monkeys? Unless, of course, you're a rival agency who just lost the account, that is.
Gaming Mums? The Key Demographic That Advertisers Are Missing
Study finds mums are turning to gaming. Apparently, not drinking 24 Red Bulls & living off Uber Eats while doing it.
Gen Z Men Say Feminism’s Gone Too Far & Makes It Harder For Men To Succeed
New study reveals Gen Z men now the fourth straight consecutive generation in a row to get the willies from feminism.
Study Finds Both Conservative & Feminist Women React “Positively” To Sexualised Advertising
This study's quite academic, so B&T has had to edit out the bits where we had no idea what the boffins were on about.
JCDecaux Brings Real Red Nose Day Heroes To life To Help Raise Funds For SIDs
We're big red nose supporters here in the B&T office. Admittedly, it's more a gin thing than a child charity one.
Pedestrian Partners With With NZ’s Mi9 To Expand Commercial Offering
Pedestrian Group has partnered with Nine subsidiary Mi9 New Zealand to offer NZ brands the opportunity to partner with the likes of Business Insider Australia, Pedestrian.tv and Gizmodo Australia. Next month, Mi9 New Zealand will be representing Pedestrian Group in the NZ market, offering clients the opportunity to work with leading youth publications including Lifehacker […]
triple J Hack’s Avani Dias To Work On Collaborative Four Corners Investigation
triple J's Avani Dias to work on a Four Corners investigation which will no doubt be depressing judging by Four Corners.
ACCC Admits It Doesn’t Penalise Influencers For Breaking Sponsored Content Rule
ACCC set to keep a keener eye on influencers, as Rod Sims reveals pearly whites thanks to Kendall Jenner whitening pen.
