Facebook’s Zuckerberg discusses hate speech with Macron
Al JazeeraParis, France – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg joined French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday to discuss the French government’s plans to take a more active role in policing harmful content posted on the world’s third-most visited website. “This report from the French government reflects a deep and sophisticated understanding of the challenges in maintaining a ‘free, open and safe internet’,” Richard Allan, Facebook’s vice president for policy solutions, said in a statement emailed to Al Jazeera. It would allow platforms to develop innovative solutions to keep their users safe while being clearly accountable to a regulator for how well they do this.” Concern from free speech groups While many have applauded Macron’s involved role in tackling internet hate speech, free speech activists say they are concerned about the methods being used to determine what constitutes “hate speech”. “What one person might call hate speech might just be something offensive,” said Gabrielle Guillemin, a senior legal officer with free speech advocacy group Article 19. “Facebook accepts that with success comes accountability,” said former deputy British Prime Minister Nick Clegg, now Facebook’s vice president for global affairs and communication, in a statement.