Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Says Facebook now better prepared to fight election interference

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year had promised to keep Facebook safer from election interference around the world. He however for the rest of the year apologized for not recognising the problem earlier.

Zuckerberg on Wednesday published a roughly 3,300-word blog post recollecting all the steps the company has taken regarding this issue.

He said, “In 2016, we were not prepared for the coordinated information operations we now regularly face,” he wrote, alluding to Russian interference in the American presidential election. “But we have learned a lot since then and have developed sophisticated systems that combine technology and people to prevent election interference on our services.” He added, “Today, Facebook is better prepared for these kinds of attacks.”

Speaking about fake accounts the billionaire founder in his note said that due to multiple social media businesses including Instagram and WhatsApp it becomes easier to shut down fake accounts on all platforms.

For the last 18 months, Facebook has been experiencing many controversies and all these are reflected in the note. The post also shows how Zuckerberg has put his reputation on danger in reducing the divisive messages, disinformation, and false news that have spread on the site.

Zuckerberg said from this month that he would publish pieces looking more closely at issues faced by the company and it would start with a post about securing elections worldwide.

Zuckerberg In April, testified in U.S. Congress about Russian manipulation of Facebook before the 2016 presidential election, with lawmakers lashing him over the company’s lack of awareness of the misuse. Since then, he has struggled with reports of disinformation campaigns on his platform in countries ranging from Mexico to India. And last week, Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, also summoned in Congress to discuss foreign interference on her company’s site.

Facebook deals with several coming tests of whether it can detect and stop election interference as the social media giant has come under scanner regarding its role in Brazil’s presidential election next month, and the November midterm elections in the United States which are coming.