London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 03, 2026

Sacha Baron Cohen just slammed Facebook for being a home for conspiracy theories that could 'kill democracy as we know it'

Sacha Baron Cohen just slammed Facebook for being a home for conspiracy theories that could 'kill democracy as we know it'

The "Borat" actor wrote that President Donald Trump has an ally in Facebook, calling the company "the greatest propaganda machine in history."
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen in an op-ed for Time Magazine called for an end to the proliferation of conspiracy theories on social media platforms — and the actor zeroed in on Facebook specifically.

The actor slammed the company for the role it has played in misinformation spreading online, calling out Facebook's algorithm that is designed to promote content that more people find interesting. Cohen also called Facebook out for its refusal to fact-check political ads and remove misleading posts.

The actor pointed out that conspiracy theories are more easily spread during times of uncertainty.

"Donald Trump - who averages 23 lies a day and is the world's greatest superspreader of coronavirus conspiracies -has caught the virus himself. He has a dutiful ally in Facebook - the greatest propaganda machine in history. And this is a time when Americans are especially vulnerable to lies and conspiracies. This trifecta has created a whirlwind of conspiratorial madness," Cohen wrote in the op-ed.

Cohen's damning remarks come as the 2020 presidential election looms just weeks away and as social media sites continue to grapple with policing disinformation on their platforms. Facebook has been in the spotlight specifically for giving QAnon networks a platform. The baseless far-right conspiracy theory spouts the claim that President Trump is secretly fighting a "deep state" group of human traffickers. Its scores of supporters found a home on Facebook up until Tuesday when the company said it was banning QAnon from its platform.

This isn't the first time Cohen has come out as a staunch opponent of Facebook. The actor slammed the company - and other Silicon Valley giants - in late 2019 for what he says is the firm's failure to stop the spread of lies and hate speech.

In January of this year, the actor attacked Zuckerberg in a Twitter post, calling the CEO out for a series of political ads the firm allowed to run on the site that a Guardian investigation found to be riddled with disinformation. "Mark Zuckerberg, history will judge you harshly - if we still have historians after you help destroy democracy," Cohen wrote in the tweet.

Zuckerberg said he does not wish Facebook to be an "arbiter of truth" after Twitter opted to attach a warning label to a tweet posted by President Donald Trump in which he falsely stated that "there is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent."

Facebook's reputation has been tarnished since its handling of user data came to light in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as its involvement in the 2016 presidential election. The social media firm has rolled out a series of moves leading up to this year's election in an effort to stunt the spread of misinformation on the platform.

In September, Zuckerberg said Facebook would start labeling posts from candidates that declare victory before the official results can be counted. With the influx of mail-in ballots, it's possible that the nation will not know the election results until after November 3. Facebook also announced it would attach a label to content that touches on the "legitimacy of voting methods, for example, by claiming that lawful methods of voting will lead to fraud." President Donald Trump has peddled claims that mail-in voting will lead to election fraud.

The social media firm has also announced that it would not accept political ads starting the day after the election.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Consults International Partners on Maritime Trade Security and Energy Market Stability
Rare Revolutionary-Era Documents Discovered by UK Archives and Undergoing Authentication
UK Consumer Confidence Remains Deep in Negative Territory as Household Spending Stays Cautious
Transport for London Warns of Severe Disruption as Major Events Converge in Central London
NHS and Social Care Sectors Face Ongoing Recruitment Shortages Amid Persistent Workforce Gaps
Rising Energy Costs Drive Price Pressures Across UK Retail and Service Sectors
Competition and Markets Authority Expands Review of Artificial Intelligence Impact on UK Media Markets
UK Parliamentary Committees Intensify Scrutiny of National Security and Industrial Policy Legislation
Bank of England Faces Persistent Inflation Pressure as Rate Cut Expectations Fade
UK Public Finances Under Pressure as Borrowing Exceeds Forecast and Debt Nears 95% of GDP
Major Police Deployment Across Central London as Mass Demonstrations and Pride Parade Converge
Large-Scale Police Dispersal Powers Activated in Liverpool Ahead of Anti-Immigration Protests and Counter-Demonstrations
Luxury bags take over the World Cup: style, status symbol, or just showing off?
National Productivity Institute Highlights Weak Business Investment Outside Southern England
UK High Court Orders Reassessment of Environmental Impact in Major Highway Project
UK Cyber Security Centre Warns of Rising Threat From State-Sponsored Digital Espionage
UK Education Secretary Launches National Reform of Apprenticeships and Vocational Training
Financial Conduct Authority Tightens Climate Risk Disclosure Requirements for Listed Firms
Rail Union Suspends Planned Strike Action to Enter Formal Negotiations With Operators
Northern Ireland Businesses Seek Clarity Over Post-Brexit Trade Rules
Welsh Government Launches Regional Growth Plan Targeting Transport and Digital Infrastructure
North Sea Wind Sector Attracts £5 Billion Investment Amid Expansion of Offshore Capacity
Scotland and UK Governments Establish New Framework for Coordinated Investment in Energy and Infrastructure
UK Government Launches Major Immigration and Border Policy Overhaul Review
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates to Remain Elevated Despite Easing Inflation Pressures
National Health Service Warns of Severe Winter Capacity Strain Across Hospital Trusts
Chancellor Orders Urgent Treasury Review Amid Concerns Over Structural Public Finance Gap
Prime Minister Unveils Sweeping Legislative Programme Focused on Housing, Health Service Reform and State Energy Plan
UK Parliamentary Committee Launches Inquiry Into Falling Primary School Rolls and Public Service Impact
UK House of Lords Debates Electoral Commission Powers and Political Finance Reform
UK Parliament Considers Expanding Carbon Rules to International Aviation and Shipping Emissions
UK Traffic Commissioner Revokes Hampshire Haulage Operator Licence Over Regulatory Failures
UK Parliament Examines Risks in Public Contracts Awarded to Technology Firm Palantir
UK Competition Watchdog Moves Toward More Flexible Merger Rules to Support Efficiency and Growth
UK Government Seeks Approval for £1.15 Trillion Public Spending Plan Amid Scrutiny Over Department Budgets
UK Parliament Debates Sweeping National Security and Steel Industry Nationalisation Bills
UK Government Issues Formal Apology for Historic Forced Adoption Practices and Announces £4 Million Support Scheme
UK DEFENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TILTS TOWARD SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
UK ECONOMIC POLICY OUTLOOK SHAPED BY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND FISCAL SIGNALS
STERLING STRENGTHENS AMID SHIFTING MONETARY OUTLOOK AND GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET SIGNALS
UK HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM NEARLY ELIMINATES CERVICAL CANCER DEATH RISK IN YOUNG WOMEN
UK EXPANDS PRISON SAFETY REVIEW AS GOVERNMENT SEEKS WIDER SYSTEM REFORM
UK DRIVES DIGITAL ASSETS STRATEGY WITH NEW STABLECOIN REGULATORY MODEL
UK TO EXPAND AI INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH NEW EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
UK LAUNCHES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECH SHIFT TOWARD ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS
CIVIL SERVICE FACES SHIFT IN POWER STRUCTURE AS REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PLANS EXPAND
WHITEHALL CONSIDERS MAJOR DECENTRALISATION PLAN WITH SECOND GOVERNMENT HUB IN MANCHESTER
UK TARGETS SERVICES EXPORT GROWTH IN TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
POLICE WATCHDOG PROBES OFFICERS OVER HANDCUFFING OF DYING TEENAGER IN HAMPSHIRE CASE
UK REGULATORS UNVEIL DUAL OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR STABLECOINS AND DIGITAL ASSETS
×