Scalper1 News
Facebook ( FB ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to a report suggesting that contractors working on the social network’s “Trending Topics” feature suppressed stories from conservative media outlets from appearing on its influential “Trending” news section. “We take this report very seriously and are conducting a full investigation to ensure our teams upheld the integrity of this product,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post . The report from Gizmodo , published Monday, says the claims were made by a former contractor, who was described as politically conservative and who worked with Facebook. The contractor said stories on conservative topics were prevented from appearing in the Trending section on Facebook, even though they were organically trending among the site’s users, allegations that Facebook denied. Some conservatives reacted angrily to the report, prompting calls for a congressional inquiry from U.S. Sen. John Thune, R.-S.D., who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. “If true, these allegations compromise Facebook’s ‘open culture’ and mission ‘to make the world more open and connected,’ ” Thune wrote in a letter to Zuckerberg. “We have found no evidence that this report is true,” Zuckerberg wrote. “If we find anything against our principles, you have my commitment that we will take additional steps to address it.” Zuckerberg said in the coming week he’ll be inviting leading conservatives and people from across the political spectrum to share their points of view. On Tuesday, Facebook Vice President of Global operations, Justin Osofsky, also responded to the allegation. “The Trending Topics team is governed by a set of guidelines meant to ensure a high-quality product, consistent with Facebook’s deep commitment to being a platform for people of all viewpoints,” he wrote. Facebook stock, meanwhile, is trading near record highs after breaking out April 28 at a 117.09 buy point. Shares were down a fraction, near 120, in early trading in the stock market today , after touching a record high of 121.08 on Wednesday. It is an IBD Leaderboard stock. Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News