Tech

Facebook's Zuckerberg met with President Trump at the White House

Key Points
  • The Facebook CEO's meetings in Washington this week included a conversation with President Trump at the White House on Thursday.
  • Mark Zuckerberg also met with Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri on Thursday.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes rounds of meeting in Russell Building where he discussed technology regulations and social media issues with senators on Thursday, September 19, 2019. He was making his way from a meeting with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to one with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty Images

Facebook said CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with President Trump at the White House on Thursday.

"Mark is in Washington, D.C., meeting with policymakers to hear their concerns and talk about future internet regulation. He also had a good, constructive meeting with President Trump at the White House today," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC in an email. Axios previously reported the news.

President Trump posted a photo of himself and Zuckerberg shaking hands on his Twitter and Facebook accounts on Thursday.

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Facebook is one of the technology companies U.S. regulators have been eyeing. The FTC in July fined Facebook $5 billion over the company's privacy policies. Also that month, Facebook said the Federal Trade Commission had begun an antitrust investigation of the company, and that the Justice Department said it would kick off "an antitrust review of market-leading online platforms."

Senior advisors Dan Scavino and Jared Kushner attended the Trump-Zuckerberg meeting, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed source.

Trump has criticized Facebook numerous times since becoming president, most recently posting on Twitter that the company's proposed digital currency, libra, will "have little standing or dependability." His more frequent attacks on the company have centered around his view that the platform is biased against conservative voices and that, along with other internet sites, it favors Democrats.

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The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also on Thursday Zuckerberg met with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. On Wednesday Zuckerberg spoke with senators at a dinner that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., had arranged.

Google parent-company Alphabet is also facing an antitrust probe, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai met Trump in March.

-- CNBC's Ari Levy contributed to this report.

WATCH: Mark Zuckerberg meets with senators on Capitol Hill

Mark Zuckerberg meets with senators on Capitol Hill
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Mark Zuckerberg meets with senators on Capitol Hill