Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump: A Surprising Detente
In a surprising turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump, who have previously engaged in public feuds, have started to show signs of warming up to each other. The development comes as Zuckerberg seeks to influence tech policy in the incoming administration.
Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, recently dined at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where they discussed technology and showcased Meta’s camera-equipped sunglasses. The meeting marked a significant shift in their relationship, which had been marked by public disagreements in the past.
Stephen Miller, a top Trump deputy, praised Zuckerberg’s desire to be a “supporter of and participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America.” Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, also expressed his boss’s willingness to play an “active role” in the administration’s tech policy decisions and to participate in “the debate that any administration needs to have about maintaining America’s leadership in the technological sphere.”
The recent thaw in their relationship comes as Meta and Zuckerberg seem to be acknowledging some of Trump’s criticisms, particularly with regards to content moderation on their platforms. Clegg has admitted that the company may have been too heavy-handed in removing content during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that they plan to improve their content moderation to reduce errors and enable free expression.
The company lifted its ban on Trump ahead of the election, and Zuckerberg has publicly congratulated the president-elect on his win, expressing hope for future collaboration. It remains to be seen if this newfound détente will translate into a fruitful partnership between Meta and the Trump administration.