Approximately a year ago, during UFC 298 held at Anaheim’s Honda Center, Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, entered the arena to the tune of Men at Work’s 1981 hit “Down Under”. An unanticipated companion accompanied him.
With his trainers and medical staff by his side, Volkanovski also had Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., in his corner. Dressed casually in black tracksuits like the rest of the team, Zuckerberg’s head moved rhythmically to the music. This high-profile tech entrepreneur, whose wealth exceeds $200 billion, was publicly expressing his interest in the popular sport that president-elect Donald Trump is known to enjoy.
Regardless of your wealth or possessions, it’s truly special and captivating if you have the chance to be a part of it, as Dana White, UFC CEO, pointed out about Zuckerberg accompanying the Australian champ. He’s deeply invested in this sport, showing immense enthusiasm for it. Once you immerse yourself in this world, you’ll find it utterly intriguing how it draws you in.
On January 6th, Zuckerberg reciprocated by appointing White as a member of Meta’s board of directors, an action he mentioned he had been preparing for some time.
To be honest, incorporating White was just one of several unexpected decisions I’ve seen Mark Zuckerberg make in January. Each move seems designed to strengthen Facebook’s rapport with the Trump administration, as we brace for the upcoming FTC antitrust case this year.
Initially, Meta underwent a restructuring within its public policy department. Nick Clegg, who had been in charge since 2018 and was previously the U.K.’s Deputy Prime Minister, was moved out of his position. In his place, Facebook’s long-term employee Joel Kaplan, known for his close connections with the Republican party in Washington D.C., was appointed as the new head.
On the 7th of January, Zuckerberg announced a significant change in Meta’s content moderation approach, discontinuing their fact-checking program and minimizing moderation efforts in all but the most severe instances such as terrorism.
Mark Zuckerberg expressed concern over the demands from governments and traditional news outlets for increased censorship. He argued that fact-checkers have shown a clear political bias, which has led to a significant loss of trust, particularly in the United States.
He stated that he would collaborate with President Trump to counteract foreign governments that are targeting American businesses and advocating for increased censorship.
During an extensive conversation with Rogan (who’s also a UFC commentator) on Jan 10th, Zuckerberg likened the current fact-checking scenario to George Orwell’s novel “1984,” suggesting that the system being employed might be causing more damage than benefit.
Eventually, it became clear that the program was causing significant distrust, particularly within the U.S. It took a few years, but I eventually realized that we would have to make some changes regarding this issue.
He expressed the view that the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the U.K.’s Brexit vote marked significant shifts: “I believe these were essentially the two occurrences that led to an unprecedented institutional push for us to begin restricting content based on ideology,” he stated.
On January 10th, Janelle Gale, the Vice President of Human Resources at Meta, sent an email to staff members explaining that the company will significantly scale back its diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives. The memo, obtained by Axios, stated that recent decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States indicate a change in how courts approach DEI matters. The term “DEI” has gained negative connotations for some people because it is perceived as a practice that gives preference to certain groups over others.
During his chat with Rogan, Zuckerberg expressed his belief that “much of the business world lacks cultural vibrancy,” and added that corporate America has been striving to move beyond an overly dominant “masculine vibe.”
(Or)
In his discussion with Rogan, Zuckerberg shared his viewpoint that a significant part of the corporate sector is devoid of rich culture, and he noted that corporate America is attempting to distance itself from an excessive amount of “traditionally masculine energy.”)
He mentioned that a culture which occasionally embraces assertiveness has its own significant advantages. However, he also recognized that this might not be as attractive to women. He further explained that for a woman entering a company, it might seem overly masculine and lacking the type of dynamic energy that she may instinctively possess.
He continued by saying it seems unfair when there appear to be obstacles stacked against you, which isn’t right since the goal is for women to thrive and for businesses to capitalize on the potential of outstanding individuals regardless of their origin or gender.
In summary, Zuckerberg’s move marks a shift in direction, as he initiated his fact-checking program following Trump’s election in 2016. However, this change coincides with a significant moment of transformation for the media landscape. On Election Night at Mar-a-Lago, White introduced Trump and acknowledged several podcasters who interviewed him (including Joe Rogan), which can be seen as a somewhat indirect criticism of traditional media outlets.
During his conversation with Rogan, Zuckerberg elaborated on the rationale behind the decision, sharing that he believes White could assist Meta in countering the public scrutiny it currently experiences.
During my discussion with him about joining our board, I mentioned that our company is facing significant pressure from various governments and international parties. To navigate these challenging circumstances, we require individuals with robust experience who can offer wise counsel,” Zuckerberg explained.
White expressed no previous inclination towards becoming part of a board of directors, but when presented with the opportunity to join Meta’s board, he couldn’t resist. He is firmly convinced that social media and artificial intelligence hold the key to our future.
It’s generally accepted that Zuckerberg holds this belief. He perceives a chance to maintain this status quo through a sequence of tactical moves, which might also shield Meta from potential scrutiny by the government – and potentially secure some immunity for its international operations from Trump as well.
And just like Volkanovski, he is ready to go to the mat to stay on top.
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2025-01-11 00:25