Facebook Appoints Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters as Head of Security & Privacy
Facebook recently announced the appointment of Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters, former chief security officer of PayPal, as its new head of security. Leathern’s hire has caught the attention of both Facebook and the tech community as a sign of an improved approach to securing the company’s user data. His experience includes a decade working in the financial sector, where he was responsible for protecting consumer data and leading the development of privacy and consumer protection policies. His experience also includes advising startups on security issues.
Chief of Advertising Prudence
Facebook has appointed Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters as the head of security. Although the social networking company declined to comment, it is widely expected that the former spokesman for the business would be leaving Facebook for pastures new. For the uninitiated, Leathern was the chief of advertising prudence and the company’s de facto spokesmodel for political ads. His tenure at Facebook was a bit short but he was responsible for some of the company’s more controversial ad policies.
Slew of Ad-Centric Measures
A slew of ad-centric measures was introduced in the last year. One of the most notable was the announcement of a plan to extend election interference tools to Ukraine and India. Another was Facebook’s decision to temporarily ban political advertisements after the 2020 presidential election. However, it did little to stop the flood of conspiracy theories and false information that abound on its site.
Product Management
Facebook has seen its share of bad press. Last year it was caught selling ads to 171 state political committees, and the company had to pay $238,000 to settle a complaint filed by the Washington state attorney general. In addition to the aforementioned legal tussle, the social network faced mounting pressure to revamp its policy on political ads.
Announce Any Major Changes
While the company did not announce any major changes, it did announce plans to extend its election interference tools to India and Ukraine. A temporary ban on political ads in Georgia was lifted after the election. The company did not require ad buyers to disclose the location of the ads they purchased, but it was not a perfect world.
Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters, the head of the advertising integrity at Facebook, announced his departure from the social networking giant on December 30. In an internal post, he said he was leaving to focus on consumer privacy issues.
Ad Tools & Working
During the recent presidential election, many critics of the social media network argue that Facebook violates user privacy by allowing fake and misinformation to flourish on the platform. The company has faced numerous lawsuits and claims that it violates users’ rights. However, Facebook has maintained that it is improving its ad tools and working to eliminate disinformation.
During the election, Facebook’s political advertising policy came under scrutiny. A number of major corporations backed out of Facebook’s advertising program. It also faced a legal challenge from Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Potential Presidential Candidates
Facebook has announced that Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters has left the company. The announcement comes as the social networking giant has begun to take stock of its political ad policy. The ad policy has drew criticism from a number of potential presidential candidates.
Target of Accusations
Although Facebook has made a number of attempts to improve its policies, it has faced increasing pressure to change its approach. Last year, the social network introduced a series of reforms. However, the company has also been the target of accusations for allowing misleading claims to spread.
Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters was a leading figure at Facebook and was often the face of the company’s controversial political advertising policies. In November, he tweeted that the company did not have the technical ability to allow ads in states where they weren’t permitted.
Most Prominent Figures at Facebook
Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters has been one of the most prominent figures at Facebook. He has been a major proponent of the company’s advertising business, and served as the head of its advertising policy management team. He was also responsible for enforcing Facebook’s policies on political advertising.
Major Target of Criticism
He was also a major target of criticism for his role in spreading misinformation on political ads. A recent tweet by him claimed that Facebook did not have the technical capability to allow state-level political ads. In fact, it paid $238,000 to settle a legal dispute with Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office.
Facebook has appointed Rob Leathern as head of security. Previously, he served as the company’s chief of advertising integrity, but he has now stepped down from that role. The move comes as Facebook’s political ad policies come under increasing scrutiny.
Final Thoughts:
As Facebook’s political advertising policies have been the subject of much scrutiny and criticism, the social network is facing mounting pressure to change its approach. Last year, the company introduced a set of reforms, but it was found that it did not do enough to fight election misinformation. It also faced a legal challenge from Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who said it sold ads to 171 state political committees. The company responded by agreeing to temporarily disable political ads after the 2020 presidential election.
