http://thehill.com/policy/technology/276503-facebook-employee-said-to-pose-question-about-stopping-trump-to-ceoBy David McCabe - 04/15/16 03:57 PM EDT
Facebook is pushing back on the idea that it could tilt the scales in the presidential election against Donald Trump.
Gizmodo published a screenshot Friday of an internal poll that Facebook employees were purportedly using to decide what questions to ask CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a meeting in March.
Several of the questions concerned either the company’s business position or internal matters, but one was about politics: “What responsibility does Facebook have to prevent President Trump in 2017?” Some employees apparently voted for the question to be posed to the CEO.
Gizmodo speculated that Facebook could downplay stories and posts related to Trump in its New Feed, potentially putting a damper on his campaign.
A spokesperson for the company says it cannot confirm or deny leaks but bristled at the suggestion it would seek to help or hinder any political candidate.
"We encourage any and all candidates, groups, and voters to use our platform to share their views on the election and debate the issues,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“We as a company are neutral — we have not and will not use our products in a way that attempts to influence how people vote.”
Zuckerberg has been a champion of immigration reform, and took a veiled shot at Trump during his remarks to the company’s F8 developers conference.
"I hear fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as others, for blocking free expression, for slowing immigration, reducing trade and, in some cases around the world, even cutting access to the internet,” he said.
