On Wednesday, June 1, Meta's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, posted a lengthy message on Facebook announcing her departure from the tech company.
Sandberg revealed that after 14 years working alongside Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, she now wants to focus on her foundation and philanthropic work.
However, reports say a deeper reason behind her sudden resignation.
Sheryl Sandberg's Controversy
According to The New York Times, Facebook's targeted ads were Sandberg's idea, and it has put the company in trouble with critics, the public, privacy advocates, and the law.
Aside from that, Sandberg's former staff blamed her for the spread of COVID-19 misinformation on the platform in 2020, the hate speeches and conspiracy theories circulated online during the recent US Presidential Election, and the current issue with fake news and climate denialism on Facebook.
Bloomberg reported that Sandberg, who was in charge of the growth of Facebook at the time, did not move fast enough to put out fires and viewed the issues with the platform as "PR problems."
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She even allegedly suggested just waiting out instead of pitching strategies that can promote systemic change.
Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said that Meta's social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, are now battling racism, misogyny, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and alt-right organizing all because of Sandberg.
Due to her lack of action and putting Facebook in trouble with the law, her relationship with Zuckerberg was heavily affected.
Sandberg's Contribution to Meta
Sandberg was instrumental in making Facebook one of the most used social media platforms today. In 2008, she resigned as vice president of Google and joined the then 23-year-old Zuckerberg at Facebook.
Using her experience at Google, Sandberg understood the value of Facebook's user data. She handled much of the platform's public relations at the cost of her own reputation.
The former chief operating officer introduced the concept of targeted, personalized ads, according to The Guardian.
This gave several companies the chance to convert Facebook users into shoppers as they flash tailor-made ads for them based on their recent searches.
The controversial targeted, personalized ads would later serve as a model for other internet companies who would follow in Facebook's footsteps. This is why every minute of interaction online can now be harvested into a potent advertising tool.
Although her methods were questionable, they worked really well. Facebook's profits came soaring in, as its revenue went from $153 million to $70 billion in just ten years.
The majority of the revenue came from digital ads, and that power continues today. In 2021, 97% of Meta's total revenue came from ads alone.
Aside from targeted ads, Sandberg also ran parts of the company that the young Zuckerberg was ill-equipped to understand back then.
The Meta CEO admitted in a Facebook post that he was just fresh out of college, and he did not know anything about running a company, which was why he let Sandberg handle most of it.
Sandberg was the one who tackled problems that Zuckerberg did not want to deal with, such as regulatory affairs and policies. Unfortunately, those same issues were what put Facebook in hot water with Congress.
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Written by Sophie Webster
