| Time | Text |
|---|---|
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Zuckerberg's Unbiased Platform Dilemma
00:04:46
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| While you're all getting in here, I'd like to do my impression of Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress. | |
| That was my That was my impression. | |
| Now, I haven't watched most of the Zuckerberg testimony, but I did happen to catch the little bit where Senator Ted Cruz was talking to him. | |
| And, oh my God, did any of you see Ted Cruz cross-examining, if you will, Zuckerberg? | |
| That was like watching a hunter clubbing a baby harp seal on live TV. So I have several things to say about it. | |
| The first is that it's the best I've ever seen Cruise on TV, you know, including all of his running for office and various interviews and stuff. | |
| And I think what made him so effective is that, first of all, his material was great. | |
| You know, the questions he asked, the way he presented it was, you know, every bit the trial lawyer that I think he was, right? | |
| Wasn't he a trial lawyer? | |
| Or he was some kind of lawyer. But he dialed back I guess he dialed back his emotions and just delivered it like a surgeon. | |
| So it was just so surgical without any emotion in it that it was almost hard to watch. | |
| He just dismantled poor Zuckerberg. | |
| And here's the part where Zuckerberg had what I would call his Failure to deny the KKK moment. | |
| I'm not sure if other people will see it this way. | |
| But what I saw was Ted Cruz give him multiple opportunities to either confirm or deny that they are unbiased in terms of the political speech that they cover. | |
| And each time... | |
| Zuckerberg was asked to simply answer the question, is it your intention to be unbiased? | |
| Or, which is equally legal and allowed, is it your intention to use your First Amendment rights to be more about the message? | |
| Very simple question. | |
| Zuckerberg avoided it several times, and when he offered something that sounded like an answer, here's what he said. | |
| He said that we see Facebook as a platform for all ideas. | |
| That was his response, which is not an answer, to the question, is it your intention to be an unbiased platform? | |
| Because here's the difference. | |
| Yes, it's true that they are a platform for all ideas, but do all ideas also get the same amount of attention? | |
| Are they treated the same? | |
| That's the part that Ted Cruz's question gets to. | |
| You know, is there bias there? | |
| Zuckerberg had a chance for several layups If the answer was, yes, we were trying to be unbiased. | |
| We don't always hit that mark, but that's what we're trying to do. | |
| We'll do better. There were lots of ways that Zuckerberg could have answered the question, are you trying to be unbiased? | |
| Is it even an attempt? | |
| Is it a goal to be unbiased? | |
| And he wouldn't say that that was their goal. | |
| And instead he said it's a platform for all ideas. | |
| Well, yes it is. | |
| I would agree that Facebook is pretty much a platform for all ideas, minus the terrorism and the suicide stuff and the stuff nobody wants to hear. | |
| Or at least most people don't want to hear. | |
| But it's not the answer to the question about bias. | |
| It's because the bias would come in with how much attention each of those messages get. | |
| So, and unfortunately, Zuckerberg looks panicked. | |
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Zuckerberg's Panicked Show
00:01:21
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| His actual face looks like he's ready to show some flop sweat there. | |
| He's pretty shiny, and he's clearly insanely uncomfortable. | |
| So, you know, I hate to see Facebook go down, but this is not a good day for them at the moment. | |
| Hmm. | |
| Okay, just looking at your comments. | |
| Yeah, it's not a comfortable place for an introvert. | |
| But you have to say, you know, on the plus side, he's very smart, very capable, and he's very game. | |
| He's pretty brave even to show up. | |
| He probably could have done something not to show up. | |
| Maybe not. I'm not sure how that works. | |
| If they tell you you have to show up, do you have to? | |
| Maybe you do. So I'm going to watch a little bit more of that. | |