Mark Zuckerberg says that Facebook is refocusing itself around privacy. People on the internet say they're not so sure.

REUTERS/Leah Millis

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing regarding the company's use and protection of user data on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., on April 11, 2018.

• On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he wants the social network to refocus itself on secure, private conversations. 
• The announcement is a major change in direction for a company that's prided itsself on making the world "more open and connected." 
• And given Facebook's history of privacy blunders, and the scale of this proposed change, people online had plenty to say - most of it skeptical. 

On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg published a long Facebook post explaining his intentions to make the social network more "privacy-focused."

To do so, Zuckerberg said Facebook would begin by making messages encrypted by default, and automatically deleting them after a period of time. No definite timeline was provided, as the chief exec said these changes would come "over the next few years."

The announcement is a major change in direction for a company that's mission statement as recently as 2017 was to "make the world more open and connected." And given Facebook's history of security and privacy blunders - including, but not limited to, the Cambridge Analytica scandal - many people expressed their skepticism. 

Here are some of the top reactions to Facebook's proposed new focus on privacy:

There was some praise for Zuckerberg's statement on Tuesday. 

But given the company's history of security issues, Zuckerberg's comments were met with plenty of skepticism. 

Some pointed to the difficulties that encryption introduces. 

Others wondered how a more private social network would be feasible from a business perspective, given Facebook's revenues depend almost entirely on ads displayed in the News Feed.

Many were left to question the timing of it all. 

Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (209) 730-3387 using a non-work phone, email at nbastone@businessinsider.com, Telegram at nickbastone, or Twitter DM at @nickbastone.