Mark Zuckerberg Responds To NYT Report On Facebook Using News Feed To Promote Positive Stories About Himself

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacted to a New York Times report claiming to have approved a plan dubbed Project Amplify, in which the social media giant would use the platform’s ‘news feed’ to promote coverage positive of himself in order to improve his image.

A line from the Times report alleges that, rather than addressing corporate controversies, Zuckerberg decided to post a video of himself on an “electric surfboard” on his personal accounts on July 4. Zuckerberg hit back on Tuesday, arguing that he can in fact be seen using a board that has a manual hydrofoil.

“Look, it’s one thing the media is saying the wrong things about my job, but it’s crossing the line to say I’m on an electric surfboard when this video clearly shows a hydrofoil I’m pumping with my own legs, ”Zuckerberg wrote.

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Zuckerberg isn’t the only Facebook employee to dispute the Times report.

“It is no wonder that a New York Times article tries to denigrate Facebook for telling its side of the story, but this article contains lies so clear that have been clearly refuted that even we are surprised, “tweeted Facebook spokesperson Joe Osborne. “The story salaciously implies that we are using the News Feed to improve our image, and yet the NYT intentionally cut my statement which clearly said, ‘There is no change in the ranking of the News Feed. news. “Wasn’t that important to the readers?”

He goes on to say that the Times report of a January meeting in which the Amplify project was discussed is “false,” adding that there was “no named person present or any named source claiming that it was. ‘was already produced “.

The New York Times cited in its report a total of six current and former employees who “refused to be identified for fear of reprisal,” including three who said Zuckerberg approved the project, two who tested the project in three cities in August, and one source who attended the January meeting.

In addition to promoting positive stories, the Times report also claimed that Facebook had taken steps to limit access to internal data.

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The New York Times is not the only outlet that Facebook has opposed.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a series of reports, citing internal documents, which claim Facebook was aware of many issues, including Instagram’s impact on teenage mental health.

Facebook vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg said in a blog post on Sunday that the WSJ reports contained “deliberate misinterpretations” of the company.