Zuckerberg staying at Meta helm for years 'makes sense': Clegg

Mark Zuckerberg's presence at the helm of Facebook parent Meta for "many, many years" would be perfectly natural, his global affairs director has told AFP, even as the founders of many tech companies hand off to fresh blood.

Succession at the mega company has been in the headlines in recent weeks with the announcement of the departure of Sheryl Sandberg after 14 years as the firm's number two.

But while the founders of companies like Amazon, Twitter and Google have all moved on, Zuckerberg has shown no sign of giving up the reins -- despite raging criticism over privacy scandals and the rampant spread of misinformation across Facebook.

Now as Meta rolls out its plans for the metaverse -- the immersive virtual world that it considers the future of the internet -- there's no reason for the 38-year-old to go anywhere anytime soon, said Nick Clegg, the company's director of global affairs.

"It's a multi-year project. It would make sense to me that Mark Zuckerberg would want to continue, to build this new chapter of the company, and that's going to last for many years, many years," Clegg told AFP on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

"He is the founder of the company, of Meta, but he is also the architect of the new chapter, of this construction, of these augmented reality and virtual reality technologies."

Facebook bought virtual reality headset maker Oculus in 2014 and launched a social VR platform.

The technology has taken off in the gaming industry, and become popular among players of Fortnite and Roblox.

But Clegg, a former British deputy prime minister, said the metaverse promised great opportunities in the fields of education and medicine, as well as entertainment.

For example, he said, teachers can take their students on a virtual trip through ancient Greece, and medics can learn sophisticated surgical techniques.

And, he said, as hardware improves, the need for specialist equipment will diminish.

"In years to come, people will be able to access these new technologies through their phones," he said.

"We are exploring how we can increase access to everyone and not just people who can afford the new and latest hardware."

Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

China approves 60 new games, lifting hopes tech crackdown is ending
Beijing (AFP) June 8, 2022
China has approved the release of dozens of new video games, sending the shares of some of its biggest tech firms soaring Wednesday on hopes that a long-running and painful crackdown on the sector is easing. The announcement follows a report in The Wall Street Journal on Monday that said regulators were wrapping up their investigation into ride-hailing giant Didi and will allow it to register new users. Officials in China - the world's biggest gaming market - rolled out a series of restriction ... read more