Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has denied a current tour of US states is the start of a campaign to run for public office.
The social network entrepreneur used a post to his personal Facebook page to reveal a year-long “challenge” to visit every state he had not previously visited was intended to get a “broader perspective” of Facebook users.
Mark ZuckerbergMy personal challenge this year is to visit every state I haven’t spent time in before to learn about people’s hopes and challenges, and how they’re thinking about their work and communities. After…
Some reports had claimed the Facebook founder’s nationwide tour was being used as a testing ground for a future political campaign.
“Some of you have asked if this challenge means I’m running for public office. I’m not,” Zuckerberg wrote on the social network.
“I’m doing it to get a broader perspective to make sure we’re best serving our community of almost two billion people at Facebook and doing the best work to promote equal opportunity at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.”
The billionaire said Facebook was currently working on technology to help users connect with people they should know, and part of his tour was discussing this with users from across the US.
“Facebook has been focused on helping you connect with people you already know. We’ve built AI systems to recommend ‘people you may know’,” he said.
“But it might be just as important to also connect you with people you should know, such as mentors and people outside your circle who care about you and can provide a new source of support and inspiration.”
