2019 hasn't been kind on social media giant Facebook, and the company only has itself to blame. From data breaches to political scandals, Facebook has been marred with controversy. And, now the social media platform finds itself in the limelight once again, after WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton reiterated his stance on deleting Facebook.
Acton is still behind the idea of deleting the social media platform. At the Wired's 25th anniversary summit, Acton told a crowd that people must make their own decisions about whether to stay or leave Facebook. He further added, "If you want to be on Facebook, and you want to have ads thrust in front of you, go to town."
Acton first shared his thoughts on Facebook last year, during the height of the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.
As reported by The Verge, Acton's original tweet (#DeleteFacebook) came at a time when he'd been away from the social network for over a year, in the wake of a conflict with Mark Zuckerberg regarding WhatsApp's monetisation.
Acton currently serves as executive chairman of the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organisation behind the encrypted messaging app used by human rights advocates, activists, and journalists. Despite Facebook's claims to bring end-to-end encryption to Instagram and Facebook Messenger before the close of 2020, Acton remains skeptical.
At the Wired25 conference in San Francisco, Acton said; "Mark has set himself up with a very tall order, and I think it's going to be years in the making. The proof is really going to be in the pudding."
His comments have come at a time when Facebook is already facing pressure from politicians concerned about national security.
In regard to implementing cross-platform end-to-end encryption, Brian said that Zuckerberg is facing an uphill battle with all the difficulties involved.
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