Veteran Tech Journalist Quits Facebook: ‘No Longer Comfortable Here’

Veteran tech journalist Walt Mossberg has quit Facebook, stating that the social media giant’s actions have diverged with his own values and that he is no longer “comfortable” on the platform.

The New York Times reports that veteran tech journalist Walt Mossberg, who has worked for the Wall Street Journal, The Verge and Recode covering the actions of Silicon Valley giants, has quit Facebook and all Facebook-related apps such as Messenger and Instagram. In a post to his Facebook page, Mossberg stated that he was no longer “comfortable” on the platform and that Facebook’s actions have now diverged too far from his own values.

“I am doing this — after being on Facebook for nearly 12 years — because my own values and the policies and actions of Facebook have diverged to the point where I’m no longer comfortable here,” Mossberg wrote in his post. “I know that, by leaving Facebook, and its other services, like Instagram and Messenger, I will be missing updates on the lives of friends who post only on these platforms. I regret that very much. However, I am not going into hiding and would be delighted to remain in touch with friends and acquaintances through other channels.”

Mossberg didn’t publicly state what issues he had with Facebook in his post, but much of his coverage has focused on Facebook’s abuse of their users’ privacy, an area which has become a key issue for Facebook over the past year. Mossberg did, however, state that he is not averse to returning to the platform if the company’s business and privacy practices change. Mossberg wrote: “This is a decision I am making just for myself. If the company or the service change significantly for the better, in my view, or become effectively regulated, I may resume regular use.”

Mossberg plans to release a book next autumn which will focus on how the world of technology has changed over the course of the past four decades.

In October 2017, he told The Verge: “To me, the tech revolution has been a net positive, and I don’t think it’s a close call. But there have been unintended consequences, like elections and harassment. The two things tie together in the headlong rush to do the next thing with no one asking questions along the way. We’ve never stopped to catch a breath.”

Facebook reportedly did not respond to the New York Times request for comment.