Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) claims that it has helped in registering more than 2 million voters in the US by encouraging users on the social platform to register as voters.
Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Sandberg stated on Tuesday that the company has assisted in bringing on board roughly 2 million new voters. The COO claims that the social media firm achieved this by posting content encouraging its users to play their role in the primary and general elections. Sandberg presented her statement during the WSJD conference that was held at Laguna Beach in California. She also stated that the number of voters supporting the Democratic Party on the social platform is the same as the number of voters supporting the Republican Party.
“We believe in giving people a voice. We really believe that we can help people register to vote and increase political participation. And that will be good for everyone, not just in the US but around the world,” said the COO.
The data provided by election officials also seems to align with Sandberg’s claim. A report published by the New York Times earlier this month stated that Facebook has contributed to the surge in voter registration numbers in nine states including Indiana and California. Facebook boasts of roughly 1.65 billion users and its growth has also made it more influential in politics. It has hosted live political debates through its streaming feature, Facebook Live.
The Facebook social platform has played a key role in politics. Its influence also spans to other areas and Facebook Live has particularly been used to address other social issues such as police brutality and racism. Facebook live has however faced its fair share of scrutiny especially with regard to the streaming of sensitive content. Nevertheless, the company takes pride in the fact that it has played a positive and active role in political matters.
Facebook stock closed the latest trading session at $132.29.