Facebook executive warns against trying to 'change the outcome' of the 2020 election in leaked memo
A Facebook executive in a leaked internal memo admits the platform is likely partially responsible for President Trump's election but warns against trying to "change the outcome" in 2020.
The New York Times on Tuesday published a memo recently posted by Andrew Bosworth, the former head of Facebook's advertising team who is now vice president of virtual and augmented reality, on the company's internal network. In it, he suggests Facebook was "responsible for Donald Trump getting elected," although he argues it's only because Trump in 2016 ran the "single best digital ad campaign I've ever seen from any advertiser," not because of "Russia or misinformation or Cambridge Analytica."
Bosworth, who the Times notes some in the company see as a "proxy" for CEO Mark Zuckerberg, says since Facebook's advertising policies are the same heading into 2020, this may "very well may lead to" Trump's re-election. "As a committed liberal," Bosworth writes, "I find myself desperately wanting to pull any lever at my disposal to avoid the same result." But he compares the situation to The Lord of the Rings, when Galadriel imagines using the ring for noble reasons but "knows it will eventually corrupt her."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"As tempting as it is to use the tools available to us to change the outcome, I am confident we must never do that or we will become that which we fear," Bosworth writes.
Facebook ahead of the 2020 election has faced criticism for allowing false political ads on the platform, and dozens of employees reportedly argued against Bosworth's post in its comments, saying the company should treat politicians on the site the same way it does users. More than 250 Facebook employees previously wrote in a critical letter to Zuckerberg that the current ad policies suggest "we are okay profiting from deliberate misinformation campaigns."
In a statement to the Times, Bosworth said his memo "wasn't written for public consumption."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'Musk's reliance on China draws rising scrutiny'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biba: the story of a 'legendary emporium'
The Week Recommends Brand's 60th anniversary is being marked with retrospective celebrating the 'iconic shop's cultural importance'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
The Explainer Ukraine is attempting to strengthen its alliances on the continent to counter Russia's growing presence
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Immigration helped the US economy outpace peers
speed read The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% last quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4-day workweek gets boost from UK study
Speed Read Following a six-month trial, the majority of participating British companies are still using the truncated schedule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nvidia sees historic stock rise on AI chips success
Speed Read U.S. chipmaker Nvidia achieved the biggest one-day increase in value of any company in history
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published