Renowned screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, celebrated for his Oscar-winning script for “The Social Network,” is delving back into the Facebook narrative with a follow-up film that will scrutinize the tech giant’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol.
Sorkin, known for his incisive portrayal of pivotal moments in contemporary history, including his work on TV’s “The West Wing” and the recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” revealed his plans during a live recording of “The Town” podcast. He pointedly attributed blame to Facebook for the events of January 6, citing the platform’s role in exacerbating political polarization in the United States.
In his remarks, Sorkin criticized Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for prioritizing growth over integrity, despite his immense personal wealth. He highlighted Facebook’s algorithmic strategies aimed at maximizing engagement by promoting divisive content, which he believes contributed to the proliferation of extremist narratives and fueled the assault on the Capitol.
Acknowledging the centrality of social media platforms like Facebook in shaping public discourse, Sorkin emphasized the need to address the platform’s influence on the dissemination of news and the spread of misinformation. He suggested that the film would explore how tech companies grapple with the delicate balance between facilitating free expression and curbing harmful content.
The January 6 attack on the Capitol, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, saw hundreds of individuals storming the seat of American democracy. Sorkin indicated that the film would delve into the motivations behind the assault, including the role of conspiracy theories such as QAnon, which proliferated on social media platforms.
“The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher, was a commercial and critical success upon its release in 2010, garnering multiple Oscar nominations and winning three Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin. While Sorkin has expressed interest in revisiting the Facebook narrative, Fincher has cautioned that exploring such contentious terrain would be akin to opening a “can of worms.”
As Sorkin embarks on this ambitious project, audiences eagerly anticipate another thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between technology, politics, and society in the digital age.
