Mark Zuckerberg slams neo-Nazis and 'polarization' after Charlottesville

Zuck has weighed in.
 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
Mark Zuckerberg slams neo-Nazis and 'polarization' after Charlottesville
Zuck has weighed in on Charlottesville. Credit: AP/REX/Shutterstock

We can now add Mark Zuckerberg to the growing list of CEOs and public figures who have weighed in on the events of Charlottesville.

Writing in a Facebook post Wednesday, the CEO said white supremacists and neo-Nazis are a "disgrace," while criticizing the "polarization in our culture."

"With the potential for more rallies, we're watching the situation closely and will take down threats of physical harm," Zuckerberg wrote. Facebook's policies have long banned violent threats and hate speech, but the platform has sometimes struggled with enforcement.

Zuckerberg also specifically called out neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, saying "it's a disgrace that we still need to say that neo-Nazis and white supremacists are wrong -- as if this is somehow not obvious."

The carefully phrased 326-word post comes four days after violence first kicked off in Charlottesville, and made no reference to Trump or his comments defending some of the protesters.

Zuckerberg also took the opportunity to criticize the "polarization in our culture."

"There's not enough balance, nuance, and depth in our public discourse, and I believe we can do something about that."

His comments come after months of debate surrounding Facebook's role in the presidential election and whether the social network contributes to the very polarization Zuckerberg referenced.

On his part, Zuck -- who also happens to be in the midst of a nationwide tour of the U.S that's definitely not a precursor to a political campaign -- has maintained that emphasizing community-focused groups is key to increasing empathy on the platform.

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Karissa Bell

Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.

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