Social networking giant Facebook on Tuesday said it is committed to building a “privacy-focussed” social platform to ensure that conversations stay private, and that user data is secure across its products like Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Speaking at its flagship event F8 in San Jose, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that there are privacy concerns related to its platform, but asserted that he remains committed to bringing in changes and “starting a new chapter”.
“As the world gets bigger and more connected, we need that sense of intimacy more than ever. So that is why I believe the future is private. This is the next chapter for our services… We don’t exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly. But I’m committed to doing this well and starting a new chapter for our product,” he said.
More than 5,000 developers, creators and entrepreneurs from across the world are participating at this year’s edition of F8 — Facebook’s annual technology conference.
Facebook, which has drawn flak globally over instances of data breaches, is re-hauling its main platform as well as introducing new features across its family of apps.
Mr. Zuckerberg outlined that the vision is based on six principles — private interactions, encryption, reducing permanence, safety, interoperability and secure data storage — across features like private messaging, groups, payments, and even location sharing.
“…if we get this right, using all of these services is going to be a fundamentally different experience a few years from now. At the end of the day, it’s not just about building new products, it’s a major shift in how we run this company because we believe that for the future, people want a privacy-focussed social platform,” he added.
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