Hillary Clinton failed to get the last job she was vying for, so what is the next job she would like to have? The former Democratic Party nominee and First Lady considered the question Friday at Harvard University. She said she would like to run Facebook.
Clinton was at an event in which she received the prestigious Radcliffe Medal for “transformative impact on society.” Clinton was asked which company she would like to lead as CEO.
Without any hesitation, Clinton named Facebook. She noted that the social media giant has vast power and controls the flow of information.
“It’s the Biggest News Platform in the World”
“It’s the biggest news platform in the world … but most people in our country get their news, true or not, from Facebook,” Clinton said.
Clinton’s answer drew mixed reactions from social media. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg openly endorsed Clinton’s candidacy. And co-founder of the social media giant, Dustin Moskovitz, led a nearly $30 million effort to defeat now-President Donald Trump.
Facebook employees contributed $114,000 more to Clinton’s campaign than to those of any other candidate, according to Federal Election Commission.
But the former U.S. secretary of state’s desire to run Facebook comes at the time when the tech company is facing a number of scandals. One of them is the alleged misuse of user data that allowed political campaigns, including possibly Clinton’s, to target potential voters after acquiring the data of millions of people.
Facebook was accused of deceptive tactics to pressure people to accept its privacy policy. According to a complaint filed by the European Center for Digital Rights, the social media giant blocked users who didn’t consent to the new privacy policies and used “tricks” – including fake message notifications – to pressure them into agreeing with the policies.
Facebook Used “Tricks” to Pressure Users
“[Facebook] used additional ‘tricks’ to pressure the users: For example, the consent page included two fake red dots … that indicated that the user has new messages and notifications, which he/she cannot access without consenting — even if the user did not have such notifications or messages in reality,” the complaint reads, according to an Australia News outlet.
In the midst of the election, Clinton’s campaign launched a mobile application called “Hillary 2016.” It allowed every user to pair their friends list on Facebook with their phone contacts – and give the campaign permission to access that info.
Share this:
