Published 08:51 IST, August 29th 2020
'Facebook erred by not removing a post that urged armed action in Kenosha': Zuckerberg
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that his company made a mistake by not acting on the post that demanded armed action against protesters in Kenosha.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on August 28 admitted that his company made a mistake by not acting on the post that demanded armed action against protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two people were shot dead on August 25 allegedly by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. Zuckerberg in a video post on Friday admitted that Facebook failed to remove an event listing that asked armed citizens to protect lives and properties.
The event was listed by a page named 'Kenosha Guard', which Facebook removed after the shootings on Tuesday. Zuckerberg said that the platform made a mistake in not removing the event listing despite receiving numerous complaints regarding the post, calling it an "operational mistake".
The social media giant had earlier said that they have found no evidence to link the suspected shooter Kyle Rittenhouse to the Facebook page 'Kenosha Guard', an extremist group that violated the company's newly-introduced content moderation policy. The company also said that Rittenhouse was not invited to the event pageThe California-based company on August 27 informed the press that it has designated the shooting as mass murder and therefore, has removed Rittenhouse’s accounts from both Facebook and Instagram.
US protests
Protests in Kenosha and across the United States had erupted after the killing of an African-American man Jacob Blake by a Caucasian police officer. The protests are still continuing as demonstrators are demanding end in racial violence and police brutality. Thousands of people gathered on August 28 in Washington DC to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the historic 'I Have a Dream' speech by Martin Luther King Jr, where the main theme was the recent violence against Black Americans.
Updated 08:51 IST, August 29th 2020