Zuckerberg’s Global Vision

Mark Zuckerberg posted a 5,800 word essay this evening about his vision for Facebook. In it, he commits his company to building a global community that’s more supportive, safe, informed, civically-engaged, and inclusive.

The initiatives he describes, and their focus on strengthening a global community, follow from his understated diagnosis of a world turning from connectedness towards isolation. He positions Facebook as the infrastructure for connection as other sources of global cohesion begin to fray.

The document itself is remarkable for its vision, breadth and detail. However, it occupies an uncanny space between being apolitical and overtly political. Facebook has long touted itself as a neutral platform, one committed to connectedness and the sharing of ideas regardless of politics. To Zuckerberg’s credit, his principles in this haven’t changed, but the political environment around him has, and his vision of global connectedness is at odds with a resurgent isolationism in the U.S. and Europe.

In truth, a company that serves as a primary source of information for 1.8 billion people is inherently political. It cannot escape the political impact of the design decisions that shape what those people read and engage with. With that in mind, a post like this is a helpful articulation of where the company stands. It helps to know what the company will fall back to when making difficult decisions.

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