Mark Zuckerberg’s creation and leadership of Facebook fundamentally changed how political information spreads and how people engage with politics online.

Role in Digital Politics

Platform Development (2004-2010) Built Facebook from a college networking site into a global platform that became central to political communication.

Political Awakening (2010-2016) Recognized Facebook’s growing political influence during elections and social movements worldwide.

Crisis Management (2016-2020) Faced intense scrutiny over platform’s role in election interference, misinformation, and political polarization.

Regulation Era (2020-Present) Navigated increasing government oversight while attempting to balance free speech and content moderation.

Political Impact

Zuckerberg’s influence on digital politics includes:

• Creating the dominant platform for political advertising and organizing
• Shaping content moderation policies that affect global political discourse
• Influencing platform design decisions that impact information spread
• Testifying before Congress on platform responsibilities
• Setting industry standards for political content policies

His decisions about Facebook’s algorithms, content policies, and political advertising have had far-reaching consequences for democratic discourse worldwide.