1 00:00:01,950 --> 00:00:04,285 Thank you very much thanks everyone who stood up: 2 00:00:04,285 --> 00:00:06,900 unnecessary but very flattering. 3 00:00:07,380 --> 00:00:09,762 Thank you Jonathan for your very kind words. 4 00:00:10,483 --> 00:00:12,280 Thank you the anti-defamation league 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:18,195 for this recognition and your work n fighting racism hate and bigotry. *** 6 00:00:18,195 --> 00:00:21,480 And to be clear when I say racism hate 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,760 and bigotry I'm not referring to the 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,949 names of Stephen Miller's labradoodles 9 00:00:29,750 --> 00:00:33,210 now I realize that some of you may be 10 00:00:33,210 --> 00:00:35,910 thinking what the hell is a comedian 11 00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:38,250 doing speaking at a conference like this 12 00:00:38,250 --> 00:00:42,690 I certainly am I've spent most of the 13 00:00:42,690 --> 00:00:45,180 past two decades in character in fact 14 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:48,210 this is the first ever time that I've 15 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:50,489 stood up and given a speech as my least 16 00:00:50,489 --> 00:00:57,469 popular character Sacha Baron Cohen and 17 00:00:57,469 --> 00:01:02,539 I have to confess it is terrifying I 18 00:01:02,539 --> 00:01:05,099 realized that my presence here may also 19 00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:07,110 be unexpected for another reason 20 00:01:07,110 --> 00:01:09,689 at times some critics have said my 21 00:01:09,689 --> 00:01:13,590 comedy risks reinforcing old stereotypes 22 00:01:13,590 --> 00:01:16,350 the truth is I've been passionate about 23 00:01:16,350 --> 00:01:18,750 challenging bigotry and intolerance 24 00:01:18,750 --> 00:01:21,659 throughout my life as a teenager in 25 00:01:21,659 --> 00:01:23,640 England I marched against the fascist 26 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,340 National Front and to abolish apartheid 27 00:01:26,340 --> 00:01:29,040 as an undergraduate I traveled around 28 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,590 America and wrote my thesis about the 29 00:01:31,590 --> 00:01:33,720 civil rights movement with the help of 30 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,090 the archives of the ADL and as a 31 00:01:36,090 --> 00:01:38,610 comedian I've tried to use my characters 32 00:01:38,610 --> 00:01:40,979 to get people to let down their guard 33 00:01:40,979 --> 00:01:43,490 and reveal what they actually believe 34 00:01:43,490 --> 00:01:46,920 including their own prejudice now I'm 35 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,119 not going to claim that everything I've 36 00:01:48,119 --> 00:01:50,810 done has been for a higher purpose yes 37 00:01:50,810 --> 00:01:53,670 some of my comedy okay probably half my 38 00:01:53,670 --> 00:01:56,939 comedy has been absolutely juvenile and 39 00:01:56,939 --> 00:01:59,820 the other half completely puerile 40 00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:02,880 but I admit there was nothing 41 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,159 particularly enlightening about me as 42 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:07,979 Borat from Kazakhstan the first fake 43 00:02:07,979 --> 00:02:10,919 news journalist running through a 44 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,140 conference of mortgage brokers while I 45 00:02:13,140 --> 00:02:14,670 was completely naked 46 00:02:14,670 --> 00:02:17,880 but when Bora was able to get an entire 47 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,069 bar in Arizona to sing through either 48 00:02:20,069 --> 00:02:23,940 Jill down the well it did reveal 49 00:02:23,940 --> 00:02:26,660 people's indifference to anti-semitism 50 00:02:26,660 --> 00:02:30,450 when as Bruno the gay fashion reporter 51 00:02:30,450 --> 00:02:31,320 from Austria 52 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,690 I started kissing a man in a cage fight 53 00:02:33,690 --> 00:02:36,690 in Arkansas nearly starting a riot it 54 00:02:36,690 --> 00:02:39,290 showed the violent potential of 55 00:02:39,290 --> 00:02:42,300 homophobia and when disguised there's an 56 00:02:42,300 --> 00:02:45,569 ultra woke developer I proposed building 57 00:02:45,569 --> 00:02:47,850 a mosque in one rural community 58 00:02:47,850 --> 00:02:50,940 prompting a resident to proudly admit I 59 00:02:50,940 --> 00:02:54,959 am racist against Muslims it showed the 60 00:02:54,959 --> 00:02:57,360 growing acceptance of Islamophobia 61 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,880 that's why I really appreciate the 62 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:02,360 opportunity to be here with you today 63 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,790 around the world demagogues appeal to 64 00:03:05,790 --> 00:03:08,790 our worst instincts conspiracy theories 65 00:03:08,790 --> 00:03:11,580 once confined to the fringe are going 66 00:03:11,580 --> 00:03:14,580 mainstream it's as if the age of reason 67 00:03:14,580 --> 00:03:18,660 the era of evidential argument is ending 68 00:03:18,660 --> 00:03:21,150 and now knowledge is increasingly D 69 00:03:21,150 --> 00:03:24,299 legitimized and scientific consensus is 70 00:03:24,299 --> 00:03:27,720 dismissed democracy which depends on 71 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,660 shared truths is in retreat and 72 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:33,810 autocracy which depends on shared lies 73 00:03:33,810 --> 00:03:37,500 is on the march hate crimes are surging 74 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:40,110 as a murderous attacks and religious and 75 00:03:40,110 --> 00:03:42,720 ethnic minorities now what do all these 76 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,060 dangerous trends have in common 77 00:03:45,060 --> 00:03:47,459 I'm just a comedian and an act I'm not a 78 00:03:47,459 --> 00:03:50,700 scholar but one thing is pretty clear to 79 00:03:50,700 --> 00:03:54,450 me all this hate and violence is being 80 00:03:54,450 --> 00:03:56,880 facilitated by a handful of Internet 81 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,549 companies that amount to the greatest 82 00:03:59,549 --> 00:04:03,739 propaganda machine in history 83 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,940 the greatest propaganda machine in 84 00:04:08,940 --> 00:04:10,350 history let's think about it Facebook 85 00:04:10,350 --> 00:04:13,290 YouTube and Google Twitter and others 86 00:04:13,290 --> 00:04:15,780 they reach billions of people the 87 00:04:15,780 --> 00:04:18,440 algorithms these platforms depend on 88 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,510 deliberately amplify the type of content 89 00:04:21,510 --> 00:04:24,630 that keeps users engaged stories that 90 00:04:24,630 --> 00:04:27,480 appeal to our baser instincts and that 91 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,940 trigger outrage and fear it's why 92 00:04:29,940 --> 00:04:32,610 YouTube recommended videos by the 93 00:04:32,610 --> 00:04:36,060 conspiracist alex jones billions of 94 00:04:36,060 --> 00:04:39,480 times it's why fake news outperforms 95 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,240 real news because studies show that lies 96 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,510 spread faster than truth and it's no 97 00:04:45,510 --> 00:04:46,860 surprise that the greatest propaganda 98 00:04:46,860 --> 00:04:48,240 machine in history 99 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,210 has spread the oldest conspiracy theory 100 00:04:51,210 --> 00:04:54,150 in history the lie that Jews are somehow 101 00:04:54,150 --> 00:04:57,630 dangerous as one headline put it 102 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:00,210 just think what gurbles could have done 103 00:05:00,210 --> 00:05:04,320 with Facebook on the internet everything 104 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,190 can appear equally legitimate Breitbart 105 00:05:08,190 --> 00:05:10,530 resembles the BBC the fictitious 106 00:05:10,530 --> 00:05:13,350 protocols of the Elders of Zion look as 107 00:05:13,350 --> 00:05:16,800 valid as an ADL report and the rantings 108 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,990 of a lunatic seem as credible as the 109 00:05:18,990 --> 00:05:22,200 findings of a Nobel Prize winner we have 110 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,690 lost it seems a shared sense of basic 111 00:05:24,690 --> 00:05:29,190 facts upon which democracy depends when 112 00:05:29,190 --> 00:05:32,250 I as the wannabe gangsta led asked the 113 00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:35,670 astronaut Buzz Aldrin what would they 114 00:05:35,670 --> 00:05:38,960 like to walk on the Sun 115 00:05:40,930 --> 00:05:44,750 the joke worked because we the audience 116 00:05:44,750 --> 00:05:48,290 shared the same facts if you believe the 117 00:05:48,290 --> 00:05:51,350 moon landing was a hoax the joke doesn't 118 00:05:51,350 --> 00:05:54,620 work when Borat got that bar in Arizona 119 00:05:54,620 --> 00:05:58,070 to agree that Jews control everybody's 120 00:05:58,070 --> 00:06:02,150 money and they never give it back the 121 00:06:02,150 --> 00:06:04,550 joke worked because the audience shared 122 00:06:04,550 --> 00:06:07,210 the fact that the depiction of Jews as 123 00:06:07,210 --> 00:06:10,400 miserly is a conspiracy theory 124 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,370 originating in the Middle Ages but when 125 00:06:13,370 --> 00:06:16,040 thanks to social media conspiracies take 126 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,890 hold it is easier for hate groups to 127 00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:21,560 recruit easier for foreign intelligence 128 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,800 agencies to interfere in our elections 129 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,670 and easier for a country like Myanmar to 130 00:06:28,670 --> 00:06:33,700 commit genocide against the ringa 131 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,180 now it's actually quite shocking how 132 00:06:41,180 --> 00:06:43,640 easy it is to turn conspiracy thinking 133 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,040 into violence in my last show who is 134 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:46,760 America 135 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,520 I found an educated normal guy who had 136 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,550 held down a good job but who on social 137 00:06:52,550 --> 00:06:54,860 media repeated many of the conspiracy 138 00:06:54,860 --> 00:06:57,590 theories their president Trump using 139 00:06:57,590 --> 00:07:01,100 Twitter has spread more than 1700 times 140 00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:05,030 to his 67 million Twitter followers the 141 00:07:05,030 --> 00:07:07,190 president even tweeted that he was 142 00:07:07,190 --> 00:07:10,790 considering designating and Tifa who are 143 00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:12,560 anti fascists who march against the 144 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,640 far-right as a terror organization so 145 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,120 disguised and then as an Israeli 146 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:24,520 anti-terrorism expert : lol harmalard 147 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,610 yalla let go 148 00:07:27,610 --> 00:07:30,020 disguised as him I told my interviewee 149 00:07:30,020 --> 00:07:31,760 there at the Women's March in San 150 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,430 Francisco and Tifa were plotting to put 151 00:07:34,430 --> 00:07:38,000 hormones into babies diapers in order to 152 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,440 make them turns again there and this man 153 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,230 believed it I instructed him to plant 154 00:07:45,230 --> 00:07:47,330 small devices on three innocent people 155 00:07:47,330 --> 00:07:49,340 at the March and explained that when he 156 00:07:49,340 --> 00:07:50,120 pushed a button 157 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,490 he'd trigger an explosion that would 158 00:07:52,490 --> 00:07:54,410 kill them all they weren't real 159 00:07:54,410 --> 00:07:56,360 explosives of course but he thought they 160 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,330 were I wanted to see would he actually 161 00:07:59,330 --> 00:08:03,260 do it the answer was yes he pushed the 162 00:08:03,260 --> 00:08:04,760 button and thought he had actually 163 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,270 killed three human beings Voltaire was 164 00:08:08,270 --> 00:08:11,690 right when he said those who can make 165 00:08:11,690 --> 00:08:14,720 you believe absurdities can make you 166 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:19,580 commit atrocities and social media lets 167 00:08:19,580 --> 00:08:25,430 authoritarianism now in their defense 168 00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:28,070 these social media companies have taken 169 00:08:28,070 --> 00:08:29,960 some steps to reduce hate and 170 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,659 conspiracies on their platforms that 171 00:08:32,659 --> 00:08:34,789 these steps have been mainly superficial 172 00:08:34,789 --> 00:08:37,220 and I'm talking about this today because 173 00:08:37,220 --> 00:08:39,049 I believe that our pluralistic 174 00:08:39,049 --> 00:08:41,990 democracies are on a precipice and in 175 00:08:41,990 --> 00:08:44,210 the next 12 months and the role of 176 00:08:44,210 --> 00:08:48,050 social media could be determinant now 177 00:08:48,050 --> 00:08:49,670 British voters will go to the polls 178 00:08:49,670 --> 00:08:50,900 while online 179 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:54,140 Spira says promote the despicable theory 180 00:08:54,140 --> 00:08:56,870 of the great replacement that white 181 00:08:56,870 --> 00:08:58,610 Christians are being deliberately 182 00:08:58,610 --> 00:09:02,360 replaced by Muslim immigrants Americans 183 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,030 will vote for president while trolls and 184 00:09:05,030 --> 00:09:08,150 BOTS perpetuate that it's the disgusting 185 00:09:08,150 --> 00:09:12,020 lie of a Hispanic invasion and after 186 00:09:12,020 --> 00:09:14,450 years of YouTube videos calling climate 187 00:09:14,450 --> 00:09:17,630 change a hoax the United States is on 188 00:09:17,630 --> 00:09:20,540 track a year from now to formally 189 00:09:20,540 --> 00:09:24,080 withdraw from the Paris Accords a sewer 190 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,020 of bigotry and vile conspiracy theories 191 00:09:27,020 --> 00:09:29,420 that threaten our democracy in to some 192 00:09:29,420 --> 00:09:32,870 degree our planet this can't possibly be 193 00:09:32,870 --> 00:09:34,520 what the creators of the internet had in 194 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,910 mind I believe that it's time for a 195 00:09:37,910 --> 00:09:40,490 fundamental rethink of social media and 196 00:09:40,490 --> 00:09:43,700 how it spreads hate conspiracies and 197 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:45,880 lies 198 00:09:52,170 --> 00:09:56,640 now last month however Mark Zuckerberg 199 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,310 of Facebook delivered a major speech 200 00:09:59,310 --> 00:10:03,150 that not surprisingly warned against new 201 00:10:03,150 --> 00:10:04,890 laws and regulations on companies like 202 00:10:04,890 --> 00:10:08,280 his well some of these arguments are 203 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,810 simply part of my French let's 204 00:10:12,810 --> 00:10:13,770 count the ways 205 00:10:13,770 --> 00:10:16,650 first Zuckerberg tried to portray this 206 00:10:16,650 --> 00:10:20,130 whole issue as choices around free 207 00:10:20,130 --> 00:10:23,670 expression that is ludicrous this is not 208 00:10:23,670 --> 00:10:26,970 about limiting anyone's free speech this 209 00:10:26,970 --> 00:10:28,950 is about giving people including some of 210 00:10:28,950 --> 00:10:31,530 the most reprehensible people on earth 211 00:10:31,530 --> 00:10:34,320 the biggest platform in history to reach 212 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,230 a third of the planet freedom of speech 213 00:10:37,230 --> 00:10:41,250 is not freedom of reach sadly there will 214 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:43,950 always be racist misogynist anti-semites 215 00:10:43,950 --> 00:10:47,070 and child abusers but I think we can all 216 00:10:47,070 --> 00:10:48,570 agree that we should not be giving 217 00:10:48,570 --> 00:10:51,930 bigots and pedophiles a free platform to 218 00:10:51,930 --> 00:10:54,150 amplify their views and target their 219 00:10:54,150 --> 00:10:56,660 victims 220 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,630 second Mark Zuckerberg claimed that new 221 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:05,610 limits on what's posted on social media 222 00:11:05,610 --> 00:11:08,750 would be to pull back on free expression 223 00:11:08,750 --> 00:11:11,940 this is utter nonsense the First 224 00:11:11,940 --> 00:11:14,940 Amendment says that and I quote Congress 225 00:11:14,940 --> 00:11:17,970 shall make no law abridging freedom of 226 00:11:17,970 --> 00:11:20,070 speech however this does not apply to 227 00:11:20,070 --> 00:11:22,470 private businesses like Facebook 228 00:11:22,470 --> 00:11:24,720 we're not asking these companies to 229 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:26,430 determine the boundaries of free speech 230 00:11:26,430 --> 00:11:29,760 across society we just want them to be 231 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,000 responsible on their platforms now if a 232 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,980 neo-nazi comes goose-stepping into a 233 00:11:34,980 --> 00:11:37,050 restaurant and starts threatening other 234 00:11:37,050 --> 00:11:39,090 customers and say he wants to kill Jews 235 00:11:39,090 --> 00:11:41,610 would the owner of the restaurant a 236 00:11:41,610 --> 00:11:44,130 private business be required to serve 237 00:11:44,130 --> 00:11:46,790 him an elegant eight course meal of 238 00:11:46,790 --> 00:11:48,420 course not 239 00:11:48,420 --> 00:11:50,790 the restaurant owner has every legal 240 00:11:50,790 --> 00:11:53,700 right and indeed I would argue a moral 241 00:11:53,700 --> 00:11:57,060 obligation to kick that Nazi out and so 242 00:11:57,060 --> 00:12:00,320 do these internet companies 243 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,460 now third Mark Zuckerberg seemed to 244 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:09,710 equate regulation of companies like his 245 00:12:09,710 --> 00:12:12,880 to the actions of the most repressive 246 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,270 societies incredible this from one of 247 00:12:17,270 --> 00:12:19,580 the six people who decide what 248 00:12:19,580 --> 00:12:23,020 information so much of the world sees 249 00:12:23,020 --> 00:12:26,240 Zuckerberg it's at Facebook sundar 250 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,060 pichai at Google at its parent company 251 00:12:29,060 --> 00:12:31,390 alphabet Larry Page and Sergey Brin 252 00:12:31,390 --> 00:12:33,620 Bryn's ex-sister-in-law 253 00:12:33,620 --> 00:12:36,290 Susan Wojcicki at YouTube and Jack 254 00:12:36,290 --> 00:12:40,640 Dorsey at Twitter the silicon six all 255 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:44,450 billionaires all Americans who care more 256 00:12:44,450 --> 00:12:46,940 about boosting their share price than 257 00:12:46,940 --> 00:12:55,210 about protecting democracy this this is 258 00:12:55,210 --> 00:12:58,940 ideological imperialism six unelected 259 00:12:58,940 --> 00:13:01,760 individuals in Silicon Valley imposing 260 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,270 their vision on the rest of the world 261 00:13:04,270 --> 00:13:06,740 unaccountable to any government and 262 00:13:06,740 --> 00:13:09,020 acting like they're a bomb for the reach 263 00:13:09,020 --> 00:13:11,390 of law it's like we're living in the 264 00:13:11,390 --> 00:13:13,460 Roman Empire and Mark Zuckerberg is 265 00:13:13,460 --> 00:13:15,950 Caesar at least that would explain his 266 00:13:15,950 --> 00:13:18,400 haircut 267 00:13:18,630 --> 00:13:23,200 now here's an idea instead of letting 268 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,810 the silicon sects decide the fate of the 269 00:13:25,810 --> 00:13:29,100 world let our elected representatives 270 00:13:29,100 --> 00:13:32,230 voted for by the people of every 271 00:13:32,230 --> 00:13:34,510 democracy in the world have at least 272 00:13:34,510 --> 00:13:38,530 some say 4th Zuckerberg speaks of 273 00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:42,070 welcoming a diversity of ideas and last 274 00:13:42,070 --> 00:13:45,010 year he gave us an example he said that 275 00:13:45,010 --> 00:13:47,590 he found post denying the Holocaust 276 00:13:47,590 --> 00:13:50,260 deeply offensive but he didn't think 277 00:13:50,260 --> 00:13:53,290 Facebook should take them down because I 278 00:13:53,290 --> 00:13:54,970 think there are things that different 279 00:13:54,970 --> 00:13:58,540 people get wrong at this very moment 280 00:13:58,540 --> 00:14:01,300 there are still Holocaust deniers on 281 00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:04,180 Facebook and Google still takes you to 282 00:14:04,180 --> 00:14:06,460 the most repulsive Holocaust denial 283 00:14:06,460 --> 00:14:09,850 sites sites with a simple click one of 284 00:14:09,850 --> 00:14:12,520 the heads of Google in fact told me that 285 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,030 these sites just show both sides of the 286 00:14:16,030 --> 00:14:18,970 issue this is madness 287 00:14:18,970 --> 00:14:22,090 to quote Edward r murrow one cannot 288 00:14:22,090 --> 00:14:24,850 accept that there are on every story to 289 00:14:24,850 --> 00:14:27,540 equal and logical sides to an argument 290 00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:31,090 we have unfortunately millions of pieces 291 00:14:31,090 --> 00:14:33,900 of evidence for the Holocaust it is an 292 00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:37,330 historical fact and denying it is not 293 00:14:37,330 --> 00:14:39,910 some random opinion those who deny the 294 00:14:39,910 --> 00:14:45,120 Holocaust aim to encourage another one 295 00:14:50,339 --> 00:14:53,519 still zugerberg says that people should 296 00:14:53,519 --> 00:14:55,829 decide what is credible not tech 297 00:14:55,829 --> 00:14:59,040 companies but our time when two-thirds 298 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:00,720 of Millennials say that they haven't 299 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,269 even heard of Auschwitz how are they 300 00:15:03,269 --> 00:15:06,360 supposed to know what's credible how are 301 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,839 they supposed to know that the lie is a 302 00:15:09,839 --> 00:15:13,019 lie there is such a thing as objective 303 00:15:13,019 --> 00:15:16,980 truth facts do exist and if these 304 00:15:16,980 --> 00:15:19,139 Internet companies really want to make a 305 00:15:19,139 --> 00:15:21,389 difference they should hire enough 306 00:15:21,389 --> 00:15:24,420 monitors to actually monitor work 307 00:15:24,420 --> 00:15:26,939 closely with groups like the ADL and the 308 00:15:26,939 --> 00:15:28,160 n-double-a-cp 309 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,399 insist on facts and purge these lies and 310 00:15:32,399 --> 00:15:36,410 conspiracies from their platforms 311 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,640 now v when discussing the difficulty of 312 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,820 removing content Zuka berg mark 313 00:15:46,820 --> 00:15:47,360 zuckerberg 314 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,980 asked where do you draw the line yes 315 00:15:50,980 --> 00:15:55,130 drawing the line can be difficult but 316 00:15:55,130 --> 00:15:57,500 here's what he's really saying removing 317 00:15:57,500 --> 00:15:59,660 more of these lies and conspiracies is 318 00:15:59,660 --> 00:16:03,350 just too expensive these are the richest 319 00:16:03,350 --> 00:16:05,780 companies in the world and they have the 320 00:16:05,780 --> 00:16:07,850 best engineers in the world they could 321 00:16:07,850 --> 00:16:10,060 fix these problems if they wanted to 322 00:16:10,060 --> 00:16:14,330 Twitter could deploy an algorithm to 323 00:16:14,330 --> 00:16:16,280 remove more white supremacist hate 324 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,010 speech but they have reportedly haven't 325 00:16:19,010 --> 00:16:21,410 because it would eject some very 326 00:16:21,410 --> 00:16:23,570 prominent politicians from their 327 00:16:23,570 --> 00:16:26,750 platform maybe that wouldn't be such a 328 00:16:26,750 --> 00:16:28,990 bad thing 329 00:16:34,689 --> 00:16:38,569 the truth is these companies won't 330 00:16:38,569 --> 00:16:40,369 fundamentally change because their 331 00:16:40,369 --> 00:16:43,039 entire business model relies on 332 00:16:43,039 --> 00:16:46,489 generating more engagement and nothing 333 00:16:46,489 --> 00:16:49,459 generates more engagement than lies fear 334 00:16:49,459 --> 00:16:50,689 and outrage 335 00:16:50,689 --> 00:16:52,729 so it's time to finally call these 336 00:16:52,729 --> 00:16:54,559 companies what they really are the 337 00:16:54,559 --> 00:16:57,769 largest publishers in history so here's 338 00:16:57,769 --> 00:17:00,589 an idea for them abide by basic 339 00:17:00,589 --> 00:17:02,869 standards and practices just like 340 00:17:02,869 --> 00:17:05,628 newspapers magazines and TV news do 341 00:17:05,628 --> 00:17:08,929 everyday we have standards and practices 342 00:17:08,929 --> 00:17:11,388 in television and the movies there are 343 00:17:11,388 --> 00:17:14,419 certain things we cannot say or do in 344 00:17:14,419 --> 00:17:16,638 England I was told that alley G could 345 00:17:16,638 --> 00:17:19,148 not curse when he appeared before 9 p.m. 346 00:17:19,148 --> 00:17:22,279 here in the US the Motion Picture 347 00:17:22,279 --> 00:17:24,859 Association of America regulates and 348 00:17:24,859 --> 00:17:27,559 rates what we see I've had scenes in my 349 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:30,110 movies cut or reduced to abide by those 350 00:17:30,110 --> 00:17:32,480 standards now if there are standards and 351 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,850 practices for what cinemas and 352 00:17:34,850 --> 00:17:37,210 television channels can show then surely 353 00:17:37,210 --> 00:17:40,009 companies that publish material to 354 00:17:40,009 --> 00:17:41,690 billions of people should have to abide 355 00:17:41,690 --> 00:17:45,309 basic standards and practices to 356 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,600 take now take the issue of political ads 357 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,870 on which facebook have been resolute 358 00:17:55,870 --> 00:17:58,630 fortunately Twitter finally banned them 359 00:17:58,630 --> 00:18:01,270 and Google today I read is making 360 00:18:01,270 --> 00:18:05,350 changes to but if you pay them Facebook 361 00:18:05,350 --> 00:18:09,070 will run any political ad you want even 362 00:18:09,070 --> 00:18:12,310 if it's a lie and they'll even help you 363 00:18:12,310 --> 00:18:14,920 micro target those lies to their users 364 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,730 for maximum effect under this twisted 365 00:18:18,730 --> 00:18:21,330 logic if Facebook were around in the 366 00:18:21,330 --> 00:18:24,640 1930s it would have allowed Hitler to 367 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,550 post 30-second ads on his solution to 368 00:18:27,550 --> 00:18:30,340 the Jewish problem so here's a good 369 00:18:30,340 --> 00:18:35,050 standard and practice Facebook start 370 00:18:35,050 --> 00:18:38,200 fact-checking political ads before you 371 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,380 run them stop micro-targeted lies 372 00:18:41,380 --> 00:18:44,200 immediately and when the ads of false 373 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,630 give back the money and don't publish 374 00:18:46,630 --> 00:18:48,870 them 375 00:18:54,519 --> 00:18:59,289 here's another good practice slow down 376 00:18:59,289 --> 00:19:02,090 every single post does not need to be 377 00:19:02,090 --> 00:19:04,700 published immediately Oscar Wilde once 378 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:07,610 said we live in an age when unnecessary 379 00:19:07,610 --> 00:19:13,460 things are our only necessity but but 380 00:19:13,460 --> 00:19:15,440 let me ask you is having every thought 381 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,039 or video posted instantly online even if 382 00:19:19,039 --> 00:19:22,220 it's racist or criminal murderous really 383 00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:25,909 a necessity of course not the shooter 384 00:19:25,909 --> 00:19:28,179 who massacred Muslims in New Zealand 385 00:19:28,179 --> 00:19:31,519 live streamed his atrocity on Facebook 386 00:19:31,519 --> 00:19:33,769 where it then spread across the internet 387 00:19:33,769 --> 00:19:36,380 and was viewed likely millions of times 388 00:19:36,380 --> 00:19:38,870 it was a snuff film 389 00:19:38,870 --> 00:19:42,919 brought to you by social media why can't 390 00:19:42,919 --> 00:19:45,019 we have more of a delay so that this 391 00:19:45,019 --> 00:19:48,200 trauma inducing filth can be caught and 392 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,929 stopped before it's posted in the first 393 00:19:50,929 --> 00:19:53,230 place 394 00:19:56,470 --> 00:19:59,389 finally Zuckerberg said that social 395 00:19:59,389 --> 00:20:02,679 media companies should live up to their 396 00:20:02,679 --> 00:20:06,080 responsibilities but he's totally silent 397 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,529 about what should happen when they don't 398 00:20:08,529 --> 00:20:12,710 by now it's pretty clear they cannot be 399 00:20:12,710 --> 00:20:13,399 trusted 400 00:20:13,399 --> 00:20:16,159 to regulate themselves as with the 401 00:20:16,159 --> 00:20:18,019 Industrial Revolution it's time for 402 00:20:18,019 --> 00:20:21,080 regulation and legislation to curb the 403 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:26,019 greed of these high-tech robber barons 404 00:20:28,930 --> 00:20:33,010 in in every other industry a company can 405 00:20:33,010 --> 00:20:35,170 be held liable when their product is 406 00:20:35,170 --> 00:20:36,040 defective 407 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,520 when engines explode or seat belts 408 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,430 malfunction car company's recalled tens 409 00:20:42,430 --> 00:20:44,950 of thousands of vehicles at a cost of 410 00:20:44,950 --> 00:20:47,650 billions of dollars it only seems fair 411 00:20:47,650 --> 00:20:49,780 to say to Facebook YouTube and Twitter 412 00:20:49,780 --> 00:20:53,470 your product is defective you are 413 00:20:53,470 --> 00:20:56,680 obliged to fix it no matter how much it 414 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,559 costs and no matter how many moderators 415 00:20:59,559 --> 00:21:09,970 you need to employ in every under in 416 00:21:09,970 --> 00:21:12,910 entry in every other industry you can be 417 00:21:12,910 --> 00:21:16,000 sued for the harm you caused publishers 418 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,730 can be sued for libel people can be sued 419 00:21:18,730 --> 00:21:21,990 for defamation I've been sued many times 420 00:21:21,990 --> 00:21:27,220 I'm being sued right now by someone 421 00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:29,440 whose name I won't mention because he 422 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,710 might see me again but social media 423 00:21:32,710 --> 00:21:36,070 companies are largely protected from 424 00:21:36,070 --> 00:21:37,929 liability for the content their users 425 00:21:37,929 --> 00:21:41,260 post no matter how indecent it is by 426 00:21:41,260 --> 00:21:43,870 section 230 F get ready for it the 427 00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:48,510 Communications Decency Act it's absurd 428 00:21:48,510 --> 00:21:51,250 fortunately internet companies can now 429 00:21:51,250 --> 00:21:53,800 be held responsible for pedophiles who 430 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,830 use their site to target children so I 431 00:21:56,830 --> 00:21:59,290 say let's also hold these companies 432 00:21:59,290 --> 00:22:02,020 responsible for those who use their 433 00:22:02,020 --> 00:22:05,320 sites to advocate for the mass murder of 434 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,390 children because of their race or 435 00:22:07,390 --> 00:22:09,570 religion 436 00:22:11,610 --> 00:22:18,070 and maybe fines are not enough maybe 437 00:22:18,070 --> 00:22:21,760 it's time to tell Mark Zuckerberg and 438 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,000 the CEOs of these companies you already 439 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,970 allowed one foreign power to interfere 440 00:22:27,970 --> 00:22:29,320 in our elections 441 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,980 you already facilitated one genocide in 442 00:22:32,980 --> 00:22:38,280 the anime do it again and you go to jail 443 00:22:42,540 --> 00:22:46,120 in the end it all comes down to what 444 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:49,440 kind of world we want in his speech 445 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,580 Zuckerberg said that one of his main 446 00:22:51,580 --> 00:22:56,050 goals is to uphold as wide a definition 447 00:22:56,050 --> 00:22:58,570 of freedom of expression as possible it 448 00:22:58,570 --> 00:22:59,440 sounds good 449 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,130 yeah our freedoms are not only an end in 450 00:23:03,130 --> 00:23:05,590 themselves they're also the means to 451 00:23:05,590 --> 00:23:08,500 another end as you say here in the US 452 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:11,350 the right to life liberty and the 453 00:23:11,350 --> 00:23:14,260 pursuit of happiness but today these 454 00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,560 rights are threatened by hate 455 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,840 conspiracies and lies so allow me to 456 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,210 leave you with a suggestion for a 457 00:23:22,210 --> 00:23:25,540 different aim for society the ultimate 458 00:23:25,540 --> 00:23:28,360 aim of society should be to make sure 459 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:31,300 that people are not targeted not 460 00:23:31,300 --> 00:23:34,630 harassed and not murdered because of who 461 00:23:34,630 --> 00:23:37,330 they are where they come from who they 462 00:23:37,330 --> 00:23:40,830 love or how they pray 463 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:58,610 if we make that our aim if we prioritize 464 00:23:58,610 --> 00:24:02,200 truth over lies tolerance over prejudice 465 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,720 empathy over indifference and experts 466 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,430 over ignoramus --is then maybe just 467 00:24:10,430 --> 00:24:13,520 maybe we can stop the greatest 468 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,370 propaganda machine in history we can 469 00:24:16,370 --> 00:24:19,460 save democracy we can still have a place 470 00:24:19,460 --> 00:24:22,220 for free speech and free expression and 471 00:24:22,220 --> 00:24:25,760 most importantly my jokes will still 472 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,870 work thank you very much 473 00:24:27,870 --> 00:00:00,000 [Applause]