Ocasio-Cortez: Facebook and Zuckerberg “ bear part of the responsibility ” for the insurgency

representative Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez ‘Almost Heaven, West Virginia’ – Joe Manchin and a Senate 50-50 New York AG sue NYPD for excessive force over Black Lives Matter protests Pressley’s chief of staff says panic buttons from his office ‘had been ripped off’ before the Capitol riot MORE (DN.Y.) on Friday condemned Facebook as well as its co-founder and CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot Zuckerberg ‘Nationalizes’ Facebook and Twitter as Public Goods Amazon Cites Death Threats to Keep Talking Offline Trump Hits Social Media Companies After Banning His Accounts READ MORE for disinformation posted on the platform, arguing that Zuckerberg and his company “bear partial responsibility” for the deadly pro-Trump riot on Jan. 6 on Capitol Hill.

In his monthly city ​​hall live for voters, the progressive MP said that while Facebook is “try to control as much damage as possible ”following the mob attack by deleting accounts displaying false information about the 2020 elections, which served as the basis for the violent protest, Ocasio-Cortez said the effects of online disinformation “last for a long time.”

“I think this is directly related to the complete lack of accountability of monopolies like Facebook to democracy,” the New York representative said at the virtual event, adding that the social media giant “knew” that there was disinformation on his platform and “allowed” anyway.

Ocasio-Cortez then referred to a viral moment during an October 2019 congressional hearing when she asked Zuckerberg about the potential for widespread disinformation in political ads, with the MP saying on Friday that should have prompted the head of Facebook to act ahead of the 2020 election.

“Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook are partially responsible for Wednesday’s events. Period, ”she argued. “We knew it was a problem. We knew it so far that before COVID, I specifically asked him about election disinformation and its links on Facebook to white supremacist organizations and the links that Facebook’s fact-checking organizations have with other media. white supremacists so that they can avoid being flagged and taken down.

“There is a very clear connection here,” added the congresswoman.

Following the violent crowd, Facebook announced an indefinite suspension of President TrumpCIA chief threatened to resign for pushing to install Trump loyalist as MP: Azar report in departure letter says riot on Capitol Hill threatens to ‘tarnish’ administration achievements Justice Department Says Trump Should Get Trial Immunity For Rape Accusor MOREcounts at least until the elected president Joe bidenJoe BidenAzar in departure letter says riot on Capitol Hill threatens to ‘tarnish’ administration’s accomplishments House Democrats introduce measures to oppose Trump’s bombshell to Saudis On The Money: Retail sales drop, latest sign of weakening economy | Fast food workers strike for minimum wage | US officials concerned about Mexico’s management of energy permits READ MOREInauguration of to limit the possibility of further spread of Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations of a “stolen” election.

Facebook announced on Friday that it was no longer allow people to create new events near the White House, Capitol or state capitol buildings until inauguration, with the FBI warning of possible future violence amid presidential transition.

This came after Facebook said on Monday it would be delete content containing the phrase “Stop the Steal” as part of its damage coordination policy after the deadly riot on Capitol Hill last week. The phrase had been used to promote denied claims about widespread electoral fraud, which were reinforced by Trump and other Republican lawmakers before the insurgency.

However, an analysis released Thursday by nonprofit advocacy group Avaaz found that 90 groups on Facebook the promotion of denied electoral demands remained on the platform on Wednesday.

Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly called on social media platforms to take action to prevent the spread of false information online and said Tuesday in a question-and-answer session on Instagram live that she was exploring media education initiatives following the mob attack on Capitol Hill.

“We’re going to have to figure out how we are in control of our media environment so that you can’t just spit out misinformation and misinformation,” she said in the video. “It’s one thing to have differing opinions, but it’s another to just say things that are wrong.”