Facebook’s supervisory board (FB) will decide in the coming weeks whether former President Donald Trump should regain access to the platform or face a permanent ban.
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates – whom Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg considers a mentor – on Wednesday pondered the impending decision, telling Yahoo Finance that Trump’s permanent ban “would be a shame” and would amount to an “extreme measure. “.
He warned that such a move would cause “polarization” if users with different political views split up into various social networks.
“I don’t think banning someone who actually got a fair number of votes – far less than most – but I don’t think having him away forever would be so good,” said Gates, referring to Trump, whose Facebook account has over 35 million followers.
Facebook indefinitely suspended Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on January 7, the day after Trump supporters attacked the Capitol. Twitter (TWTR) permanently banned Trump on January 8.
‘An extreme measure’
Gates pointed to the more moderate approach taken by Facebook before the suspension, in which the company labeled problematic posts; and he noted that Trump’s future speech may not require dramatic action, as his words could have less impact as a former president.
“If he is spreading lies about the integrity of the election, does it need to be labeled? Is he really less important in terms of causing problems in the future than he was in the past?” says Gates, former Microsoft CEO (MSFT) and author of a new book entitled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”.
“But it would be a shame if they had to use such an extreme measure,” he adds.
Gates, who avoids political endorsements, sharply criticized the way Trump handled the coronavirus response and his decision last April to suspend funding from the World Health Organization. The most notable dispute between Gates and Washington DC occurred in 1998, when he rejected the need for regulation of the software industry in testimony to the Senate.
The question of whether Facebook should ban Trump permanently has drawn intense interest, garnering 9,000 comments during a public comment period. Proponents of a permanent ban include ex-first lady Michelle Obama and ex-Facebook security chief Alex Stamos; while skeptics of the potential movement include German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Facebook sent the decision last month to its newly formed supervisory board, a panel of judges composed of experts and public figures from around the world. The council had 90 days to decide on the ban.
The supervisory board will distance Zuckerberg from the company’s content moderation choices, Gates said, recognizing that he once suggested the idea of such advice to Zuckerberg.
“Get that out of, ‘Okay, this is what Mark thinks’ – instead, these are some eminent thinkers and in each country, they can reflect that country’s cultural values,” says Gates. “So, you are bringing them with a sense of responsibility.”
If Facebook banishes Trump, it could lead his supporters to other social media sites, fragmenting the online debate between groups of people who share similar political positions, said Gates.
“There are people who want to see debates around [Trump’s] views, “says Gates.” Dividing the digital world into, OK, here’s this website that is for a party or part of a party, and here’s another one – that kind of polarization is probably not a good thing. “
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