Hillary Clinton slammed Mark Zuckerberg as 'authoritarian' and predicted that Facebook is 'going to reelect Trump'
- Hillary Clinton slammed Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook's policies on misinformation in an interview with The Atlantic that was published on Saturday.
- Clinton called Zuckerberg "Trumpian" and "authoritarian" for standing by Facebook's policy that allows false claims in political ads on the platform.
- Clinton made the comments at Sundance Film Festival, where she was promoting her new Hulu documentary, "Hillary."
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Hillary Clinton accused Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of tipping the scales in favor of President Donald Trump, arguing that Facebook is "not just going to reelect Trump, but intend[s] to reelect Trump."
Clinton made the comments during an interview with The Atlantic's editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg on Saturday at Sundance Film Festival, where she's promoting a new Hulu documentary about her 2016 presidential campaign.
The former Secretary of State criticized Facebook's policies on disinformation, including its controversial decision to allow falsehoods in political ads. Clinton highlighted Facebook's refusal to remove an altered video of House speaker Nancy Pelosi that was misleadingly edited to make her appear drunk.
In the wake of the 2016 election, Facebook faced scrutiny over the spread of misinformation on the platform. Facebook has since taken steps to combat false information, including enlisting third-party fact checkers and promoting trustworthy news sources. However, Zuckerberg has maintained that he doesn't believe fake news on Facebook influenced Trump's victory, calling it "a pretty crazy idea."
Clinton characterized Zuckerberg as a powerful leader with little accountability, saying she's had conversations "at the highest levels" with Facebook that were ultimately unproductive.
"I feel like you're negotiating with a foreign power sometimes," Clinton said. "He's immensely powerful ... This is a global company that has huge influence in ways that we're only beginning to understand."
Clinton argued that Zuckerberg has been "somehow persuaded ... that it's to his and Facebook's advantage not to cross Trump. That's what I believe. And it just gives me a pit in my stomach."
A Facebook spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.