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Mark Zuckerberg Clarifies Why Facebook Allows Holocaust Denial and Other Conspiracy Theories

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to clarify his controversial comments about Holocaust deniers after major backlash.
 
During an interview, Zuckerberg is quoted saying some deniers who post on Facebook aren't "intentionally getting it wrong."
 
In the interview published on Recode, Zuckerberg had been discussing what content Facebook would remove and why they allow conspiracy theories to be distributed on the site.
 
Zuckerberg said, "I'm Jewish, and there's a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I don't believe that our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong. I don't think that they're intentionally getting it wrong."
 
He went on to say, "It's hard to impugn intent and to understand the intent. I just think, as abhorrent as some of those examples are, I think the reality is also that I get things wrong when I speak publicly."
 
His comments drew immediate criticism. Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, released a statement targeting Zuckerberg's comments.
 
"Facebook has a moral and ethical obligation not to allow its dissemination," he wrote.
 
Other activists took to social media to express their disdain.
 
 
Within hours, Zuckerberg had already sent a follow-up email to clarify his remarks.
 
"There's one thing I want to clear up. I personally find Holocaust denial deeply offensive, and I absolutely didn't intend to defend the intent of people who deny that," he wrote in the email.
 
CNN reports that under Facebook's new policy, a major conspiracy site known as Infowars will still remain on its platform and does not violate community standards.
 
Facebook's new policy will include working to remove content that is flagged, escalated, and confirmed by local partners as false and possibly contributing to violence.

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