While millions of people get their news and trends from their Facebook page, the founder of the company Mark Zuckerberg does not want his brainchild to be considered as a media company. Responding to a question during a Q&A session, he emphasized that Facebook is a technology company.
Zuckerberg held his latest Townhall Q&A at Luiss University in Rome where he answered various questions including one that blamed Facebook for ruining "how people communicate with each other."
According to VentureBeat, Zuckerberg stressed that instead of ruining communication, Facebook augments human interaction, letting people communicate even when face-to-face conversation is not possible.
Another question grilled Zuckerberg about whether his company was looking to become a "news editor." He responded with emphatic "No," explaining that Facebook is primarily a technology company, providing tools and support to media companies.
The question comes at a time when Facebook is facing flak for its role in disseminating information. Earlier this year, the company was accused of suppressing conservative news on its platform. Following the accusation, Facebook has decided to withdraw human editors from its trending news section.
Zuckerberg is currently touring Italy. According to Reuters, before the Q&A session, Zuckerberg and his wife had a private audience with Pope Francis. He presented the pontiff with a model of Facebooks lightweight solar-powered drone, Aquila. The drone will be deployed to bring internet access to places which are currently not connected.
Zuckerberg also met Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and discussed Italy's internet infrastructure.