Zuckerberg: Facebook is responsible for content

WASHINGTON — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company is "responsible for the content" on its platform.

That's a departure from how internet companies have traditionally viewed themselves — as neutral platforms generally not responsible for what people post and share on their services.

But Zuckerberg, who is testifying before a rare joint congressional committee on Tuesday, says Facebook needs to take a "broader view" of its responsibility in the world.

He also says that advances in artificial intelligence mean companies like Facebook will have to think about proactively removing objectionable content, for example, not just reactively after someone flags it. This, he says, raises "moral and legal" obligation questions.

Facebook already removes some content, such as suspected terrorist propaganda before anyone sees it. But as its systems improve, it'll likely be able to remove other content too.

AP