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Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook has a new mission statement.
Instead of making the world "more open and connected," Facebook's goal now is to "bring the world closer together," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a Thursday event in Chicago for Facebook group admins.
The announcement comes in the wake of a lengthy manifesto Zuckerberg wrote earlier this year about Facebook's role in "developing the social infrastructure for community."
"I used to think that if we just gave people a voice and helped people connect, that would make the world a better place by itself," Zuckerberg said on Thursday. "Now I believe we have a responsibility to do even more."
Zuckerberg announced new tools for Facebook groups at the event, including a dashboard that admins can use to see growth and membership metrics. Admins will also be able to remove "bad actors" from groups. Facebook took down thousands of so-called "revenge porn" photos in April after it was discovered that hundreds of Marines were sharing naked pictures of female service members without their permission in a private group.
On Thursday, Zuckerberg said that Facebook's goal is to make sure that "every single person has a sense of purpose and community." His increasingly globalist rhetoric is in stark contrast to the nationalistic values of President Donald Trump, whose policies Zuckerberg has criticized.
Zuckerberg himself has embarked on a 2017 tour of all 50 U.S. states, raising speculation that he's preparing for a presidential run. He has denied the rumor.