In December 2021, Facebook’s head of public policy, Joel Kaplan, announced the departure of his colleague, former Director of Product Management for Facebook, David Leathern. Leathern’s resignation comes after several high-profile controversies surrounding the social media giant, including the company’s handling of misinformation and hate speech on the platform. In this article, we’ll explore Leathern’s departure from Facebook and what it reveals about the company’s culture and responsibility towards its users.
David Leathern’s Departure from Facebook
David Leathern was a long-time Facebook employee who joined the company in 2009 as a product manager. He worked on various projects at the social media giant, including the development of the company’s advertising platform and the creation of the News Feed algorithm. In recent years, Leathern was responsible for managing Facebook’s policies around political advertising and misinformation on the platform.
Leathern’s departure from Facebook was announced by his colleague Joel Kaplan in a Facebook post in December 2021. In the post, Kaplan praised Leathern’s contributions to the company and thanked him for his years of service. However, Kaplan did not provide any specific details about the reasons for Leathern’s departure.
Leathern’s departure came at a time when Facebook was facing intense scrutiny over its policies on misinformation and hate speech. The company had been criticized for its handling of the 2020 US presidential election, as well as its role in spreading misinformation and hate speech during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Leathern’s Departure Reveals About Facebook’s Culture and Responsibility
Leathern’s departure from Facebook raises questions about the company’s culture and responsibility towards its users. As a product manager responsible for managing Facebook’s policies around political advertising and misinformation, Leathern was in a position of significant influence within the company. His departure suggests that there may have been internal disagreements over how to handle these issues.
Furthermore, Leathern’s departure is just the latest in a string of high-profile resignations at Facebook. In recent years, several top executives have left the company, including former chief security officer Alex Stamos, former VP of communications and public policy Elliot Schrage, and former VP of product management Sam Lessin. These departures suggest that there may be a broader cultural issue at Facebook that is causing talented employees to leave the company.
At the same time, Leathern’s departure raises questions about Facebook’s responsibility towards its users. As a company with over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook has a significant impact on the way people consume information and form opinions. Leathern’s departure suggests that there may have been disagreements within the company over how to handle this responsibility.
Conclusion
David Leathern’s departure from Facebook in December 2021 is just the latest in a string of high-profile resignations at the company. His departure raises questions about the company’s culture and responsibility towards its users. As Facebook continues to face scrutiny over its policies on misinformation and hate speech, it is clear that the company must take a hard look at its internal culture and its responsibilities towards its users. Only by doing so can Facebook hope to regain the trust of its users and the public at large.
