A lawyer representing Meta in an mental property lawsuit stated he has dropped the tech big as a consumer over Mark Zuckerberg’s choice to scrap fact-checking on his social media platforms.
Mark Lemley, who can be a regulation professor at Stanford College, claimed the Meta boss has embraced “toxic masculinity and neo-Nazi madness.”
“I have fired Meta as a client,” Lemley wrote on the Bluesky social media platform, which has emerged as a substitute for X for left-leaning web customers within the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
“While I think they are on the right side in the generative AI copyright dispute, I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer.” Lemley’s social media submit was reported by SFGATE.
Lemley pointed to a collection of coverage adjustments and public statements by Zuckerberg as catalysts for his choice.
Final week, Zuckerberg introduced he was ending Meta’s partnership with third-party fact-checkers.
Lemley additionally famous Meta’s choice to reduce variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a transfer some consider is aimed toward aligning with Trump’s incoming administration.
Throughout final week’s look on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Zuckerberg lamented that company tradition has moved away from “masculine energy.”
Lemley ridiculed the comment in a Sunday submit, writing, “Oh yeah, that’s the problem with tech companies — not enough testosterone,” alongside an eyeroll emoji.
“These decisions and comments reflect values I cannot support,” Lemley advised SFGATE.
“While I believe Meta should and will prevail in the copyright case, they will have to do it without me.”
The Put up has sought remark from Meta.
Lemley was a part of a staff of attorneys representing Meta in a lawsuit introduced by authors — together with Sarah Silverman, Richard Kadrey and Ta-Nehisi Coates — who allege the tech big used their copyrighted works with out permission to coach its AI fashions, particularly the Llama language mannequin.
The lawsuit is considered one of many in a rising pile of copyright challenges concentrating on AI chatbots.
