Thursday, December 22, 2016

Zuckerberg implies Facebook is a media company, just “not a traditional media company” | TechCrunch

A key quote, earlier in the article: “It’s not a traditional media company. You know, we build technology and we feel responsible for how it’s used.”

"This is a significant shift from how Zuckerberg has discussed Facebook and media in the past. In August while in Rome to meet the Pope, Reuters reports that Zuckerberg responded to an Italian who asked if Facebook would become a news editor by saying “No, we are a tech company, not a media company.” He drew a line between Facebook and publishers, explaining that “The world needs news companies, but also technology platforms, like what we do, and we take our role in this very seriously.”

The reason this distinction matters is that pure technology platforms receive greater immunity regarding the content they serve, both legally and in the public eye. This stems from the 1996 Communications Decency Act’s Section 230(c), or the Good Samaritan act, that states “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” Media companies are considered more directly responsible for their content."
Zuckerberg implies Facebook is a media company, just “not a traditional media company” | TechCrunch

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