#Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to help 4 million Americans register to vote

Enlarge Image

Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University in 2019.
AFP via Getty Images

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to help four million Americans register to vote through a new information campaign the social media platform is set to announce Wednesday.

Zuckerberg outlined the multifaceted initiative in an op-ed published in USA Today, where he also said Facebook will continue to clamp down on election interference ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

“I believe Facebook has a responsibility not just to prevent voter suppression — which disproportionately targets people of color — but also to actively support well-informed voter engagement, registration and turnout,” Zuckerberg wrote.

“To achieve this, we’re creating a new Voting Information Center with authoritative information, including how and when to vote, as well as details about voter registration, voting by mail and information about early voting,” he continued.

Zuckerberg said Facebook anticipates its voting information will be seen in the US by 160 million people leading up to the November election.

The founder of the social media giant also said, “we have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the vote itself.”

He described how since 2016, the company has invested billions of dollars to prevent election interference.

“The threat of election interference is real and ongoing, but our systems are more prepared than ever,” he wrote.

Facebook users who “just want the election to be over” will also now have the option to turn off political ads, Zuckerberg announced.