In a 5,800-word letter he posted publicly, the Mr. Zuckerberg expressed alarm<br />that what was once considered normal — seeking global connection — was now seen by people and governments around the world as something undesirable.<br />In that letter, he wrote that the social network “was built to accomplish a social mission — to make the world more open and connected.”<br />The default assumption was that the world was just incrementally moving in that direction.<br />“I really don’t have much doubt that this is the right direction to go in the long term.”<br />The letter is filled with abstract ideas, including the notion of “social infrastructure”<br />and how to create stronger online communities, with few detailed steps about how to realize those goals.<br />Mr. Zuckerberg said his reasons for writing the updated letter began to take<br />shape before last year’s presidential election, spurred by broader trends.<br />The letter comes close to a political statement by a chief executive who, as the leader of a global<br />company, is essentially arguing against a tide of isolationism that is rising across the world.<br />A key moment for Mr. Zuckerberg’s shift in thinking about how to be a global company happened six months ago.<br />Now, that’s actually a real question.”<br />Mr. Zuckerberg released his missive amid a fierce debate over the merits of globalization.
