Martin Luther King's daughter criticises Facebook over disinformation

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Reuters
Published : 19:14, Oct 18, 2019 | Updated : 19:15, Oct 18, 2019

FILE PHOTO: The Reverend Bernice King daughter of Martin Luther King Jr speaks at the National Bar Association`s 60th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Dec 1, 2015. REUTERSDisinformation campaigns helped lead to the assassination of Martin Luther King, the daughter of the US civil rights champion said on Thursday after the head of Facebook said social media should not factcheck political advertisements.
The comments come as Facebook Inc is under fire for its approach to political advertisements and speech, which Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg defended on Thursday in a major speech that twice referenced King, known by his initials MLK.
King's daughter, Bernice, tweeted that she had heard the speech. "I'd like to help Facebook better understand the challenges #MLK faced from disinformation campaigns launched by politicians. These campaigns created an atmosphere for his assassination," she wrote from the handle @BerniceKing.
King died of an assassin's bullet in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.
Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg addresses the audience on `the challenges of protecting free speech while combating hate speech online, fighting misinformation, and political data privacy and security,` at a forum hosted by Georgetown University`s Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) and the McCourt School of Public Policy in Washington, US, Oct 17, 2019. REUTERSZuckerberg argued that his company should give voice to minority views and said that court protection for free speech stemmed in part from a case involving a partially inaccurate advertisement by King supporters. The US Supreme Court protected the supporters from a lawsuit.
"People should decide what is credible, not tech companies," Zuckerberg said.
"We very much appreciate Ms. King's offer to meet with us. Her perspective is invaluable and one we deeply respect. We look forward to continuing this important dialogue with her in Menlo Park next week," a Facebook spokesperson said.

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