Zuckerberg apologises for Facebook photo error involving Trump

Former President Donald Trump revealed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to him after Facebook mistakenly labelled a photo of Trump as misinformation. The photo, which showed Trump raising a fist after surviving an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was initially flagged by Meta’s AI system. Trump disclosed the apology during an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo, stating that Zuckerberg called him twice to express regret and praise his response to the event.

Meta Vice President of Global Policy Joel Kaplan clarified that the error occurred due to similarities between a doctored image and the real photo, leading to an incorrect fact-check label. Kaplan explained that the AI system misapplied the label due to subtle differences between the two images. Meta’s spokesperson Andy Stone reiterated that Zuckerberg has not endorsed any candidate for the 2024 presidential election and that the labelling error was not due to bias.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges for Meta as it navigates content moderation and political neutrality, especially ahead of the 2024 United States election. Additionally, the assassination attempt on Trump has sparked various online conspiracy theories. Meta’s AI chatbot faced criticism for initially refusing to answer questions about the shooting, a decision attributed to the overwhelming influx of information during breaking news events. Google’s AI chatbot Gemini similarly refused to address the incident, sticking to its policy of avoiding responses on political figures and elections.

Both Meta and Google have faced scrutiny over their handling of politically sensitive content. Meta’s recent efforts to shift away from politics and focus on other areas, combined with Google’s cautious approach to AI responses, reflect the tech giants’ strategies to manage the complex dynamics of information dissemination and political neutrality in an increasingly charged environment.