Zuckerberg Says He Doesn’t Need Facebook to Be Liked. That’s New

Mark Zuckerberg used to want everyone to like Facebook Inc. Now, he doesn’t care anymore. Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive officer, warned that this year he will take strong, controversial positions on issues facing his company. He is making the change after being told that for the last decade, Facebook didn’t communicate its plans clearly because its management was too worried about offending people. “This led to some positive but shallow sentiment towards us, and then towards the company,” Zuckerberg said on an earnings call on Wednesday. “And my goal for this next decade isn’t to be liked, but to be understood. Because in order to be trusted, people need to know what you stand for.”

Over the last decade, Facebook has invested heavily in monitoring whether the company and its executive team were liked and respected, or considered innovative. It was an exercise that seemed to fit a tech giant that created the iconic “Like” button, and made strides in monetizing users’ interests. The company has regularly polled users on what they think about Facebook, and asked if they believe it is making a positive impact on the world. Zuckerberg hired speechwriters and consultants with political experience. In 2017, Zuckerberg went on a multistate tour to factories and farms and diners, professional photographer in tow — a charm offensive that was likened to a presidential campaign.