Facebook is deploying its global head of public policy, a former Bush administration official, to counter claims that the site is biased against conservatives in its trending news section.
“A lot of people at Facebook are working to figure out if there are parts of the Trending Topics process that are broken, and if so, how they should be fixed. Though we’ve found no evidence the report is true, it is deeply troubling, and if there is a problem, we want to uncover it and correct it,” wrote Joel Kaplan, who served as deputy director in the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2009, in a Facebook post this weekend.
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“This matters to us because Facebook has always been a place where anyone can share their opinions and engage in discussion. And it especially matters to me,” Kaplan added, calling himself a “Republican and conservative.”
Kaplan laid out the case for Facebook, noting that users had shared more content on a voluntary basis about Republican Donald Trump in the past 30 days than “any other” U.S. presidential candidate, and he argued that Facebook had sponsored “nine [presidential] debates for both parties” in the current cycle, including the first Republican debate with Fox News.
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“Similarly, over the last few years we have sponsored or sent Facebook representatives to numerous gatherings of conservatives — like RightOnline, Lincoln Initiative, Americans for Prosperity, RedState, and the National Religious Broadcasters — so that we can help show the most active conservative speakers and leaders how to make their voices heard on our platform,” Kaplan added, though the listing ironically suggested some lack of familiarity by effectively naming one organization twice: RightOnline is an annual event hosted by Americans for Prosperity.
Facebook has been countering claims of bias since an unnamed former employee alleged that its trending news section intentionally excludes conservative news and news organizations. In an effort to quell the criticism, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that he would meet with movement leaders this week that include Glenn Beck, former Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino, and other members of the GOP’s “establishment” wing.
That announcement invited additional criticism from conservatives who suggested Zuckerberg was pandering to Republicans who share an interest in silencing conservative voices. In spite of his Republican credentials, Kaplan, who donated at least $15,000 to Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign before supporting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, may not be of much help in countering that concern.
“I love the fact that conservative voices are so strong on Facebook — and that we are the place where the political debate takes place,” Kaplan added in his post. “But ultimately my own political perspective isn’t what matters. What’s important is that we are truly open to everyone — and that they know it.
