Aaron Sorkin Working on New Movie About Facebook's Role in January 6 Capitol Riot

Aaron Sorkin, the Oscar-winning writer of The Social Network, has revealed that he is working on a new movie that will explore Facebook's role in the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol. Sorkin blames Facebook's divisive algorithm, which prioritizes engagement over integrity, for contributing to the events that unfolded on that day.

The upcoming film will be a follow-up or "spiritual successor" to The Social Network, Sorkin's 2010 drama about the creation of Facebook. In the new movie, Sorkin plans to depict how Facebook's algorithm promotes the most divisive material possible to increase user engagement, and how this played a part in the Capitol riot.

Sorkin accused Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, of prioritizing growth and engagement over integrity, which he believes has led to sharp political polarization in the United States. "Facebook has been tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible because that increases engagement," Sorkin stated.

Why this matters: The movie will shed light on the growing concern over the influence of social media platforms on political discourse and the spread of misinformation. It also highlights the responsibility of tech companies in moderating content and the potential consequences of prioritizing engagement over integrity.

The film will also explore how many Americans rely on social media platforms like Facebook for news, and how these companies have been accused of failing to verify widely shared stories, including viral conspiracy theories. Sorkin believes Zuckerberg should be held responsible for the role Facebook has played in dividing Americans.

While the project is still in the early stages and Sorkin has not revealed many details, he says viewers will have to "buy a movie ticket" to find out more. The upcoming film is expected to be a significant commercial and critical success, much like its predecessor, The Social Network, which won three Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin.

Key Takeaways

• Aaron Sorkin is working on a new Facebook movie tied to the Jan 6 Capitol riots.
• The film will explore how Facebook's algorithm promotes divisive content for engagement.
• Sorkin blames Facebook's prioritization of growth over integrity for political polarization.
• The movie will shed light on social media's influence on political discourse and misinformation.
• The film is expected to be a commercial and critical success like Sorkin's previous work.