Mark Zuckerberg (Photo : Reuters)
CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained his stand against the Charlie Hebdo attack during the Facebook town hall meeting in Bogota, Colombia, according to USA Today.
During the meeting, participants asked the CEO as to why he condemned the Charlie Hebdo attack in a Facebook post but failed to do the same with other terrorist attacks, according to The Guardian.
"This was specifically about people's freedom of expression. That gets to the core of what Facebook is here to do: stand up and make it so that everyone can have as much of a voice as possible," Zuckerberg explained.
After his answer, the next question was why Facebook operates in countries that prohibit freedom of speech. Zuckeberg answered that they have the responsibility to provide communication tools despite the government restrictions for freedom of speech, ABC News reported.
The participant was referring to Zuckerberg's statement on Facebook last week wherein he condemned the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Zuckerberg opened the post with a story about a Pakistani extremist who was offended by a Facebook post regarding Mohammed. The extremist wanted Zuckerberg to be sentenced to death because he refused to block the said news.
The Facebook CEO added that the different opinions can be offensive but he stood by it since he believes it "can make the world a better and more interesting place." The social media site is where people around the world can voice out their viewpoints. Although the company complies with the rules in each country, it will not allow organizations or individuals to restrict freedom of expression.
Zuckerberg reflected on the Charlie Hebdo massacre and his own experience of extremism. The CEO pointed out that extremism should be rejected and not the freedom of speech. Facebook users have the assurance that Zucekerberg will protect the freedom to speak out without fear of retaliation.
Before the post ended, Zucekerberg wrote: "My thoughts are with the victims, their families, the people of France and the people all over the world who choose to share their views and ideas, even when that takes courage. #JeSuisCharlie."
Meanwhile, a video taken from the Q&A with Zuckerberg in Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia was uploaded on Facebook.
