Trump, Facebook's Zuckerberg had ‘constructive’ meeting at White House
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with President Trump on Thursday during a trip to the nation's capital that included a dinner with senators and discussions on Capitol Hill.
The social media giant wanted to hear policymakers “concerns and talk about future internet regulation," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "He also had a good, constructive meeting with President Trump at the White House today.”
While a readout of the White House meeting wasn't available and no public events were scheduled, Zuckerberg is said to have addressed the same topics with Trump that he discussed with senators.
On Friday, Zuckerberg will attend a member meeting hosted by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
The meetings were held amid heightened unease about anticompetitive behavior in the technology sector – specifically among the country’s largest companies. Trump himself said last year that he was considering antitrust action against major firms including Facebook.
This week, antitrust regulators from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee, naming investigations into competitive activity in technology markets as a top priority.
In fact, the FTC has shifted resources to establish a dedicated technology task force, Chairman Joseph Simons said. “They are focused on high-technology platforms, and they’re very active,” Simons added.
The only company the FTC official could confirm the agency was investigating is Facebook because the company itself publicly disclosed the case.
In July, the FTC approved a $5 billion fine against the social media company over how it handled users’ personal information.
Meanwhile, speculation is mounting about efforts to break up the country’s largest tech companies – including Facebook. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren – who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination in 2020 – released a plan in March to split apart companies that have “too much power” and have “bulldozed competition.”
Zuckerberg has called for increased oversight of the internet, specifically pertaining to harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.
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Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey earlier this year – as he criticized the social media platform for its treatment of conservatives, and specifically his account.
FOX Business’ Hillary Vaughn contributed to this article.