League of San Francisco Consular Corps Visits Facebook Headquarters

The League of San Francisco Consular Corps (LSFCC), led by its President Madame Mariza S. Bensurto (front, seventh from left), visited the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, California on 28 February 2019. Also in the photo are Consul General Henry S. Bensurto (front, sixth from left), Singapore Consul General Darryl Lau (back, sixth from left) and LSFCC members composed of spouses and partners of members of the San Francsisco Consular Corps and United States Support Group members. (San Francisco PCG photo)

SAN FRANCISCO 12 March 2019 – The League of San Francisco Consular Corps, led by LSFCC President Madame Mariza S. Bensurto, wife of Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto Jr., visited the Facebook headquarters and campus in Menlo Park, California on 28 February 2019.

Facebook’s Product Policy officers welcomed the group in a guided tour of the campus, and provided a briefing led by Facebook Product Policy Manager David Caragliano and Facebook Global Safety Public Policy Manager Karuna Nain.

The briefing was informative as it discussed Facebook’s policies related to content and community standards, including the content that can and cannot be shared on the site.

The visit gave a glimpse of the working environment at Facebook, which aims to foster innovation and creativity among its employees. LSFCC members were shown various amenities of the Facebook campus, including restaurants, game arcade, gardens and meeting rooms, among others.

Mr. Caragliano underscored the three core values of Facebook as a company—safety, voice, and equity. Facebook aims to ensure the safety of its users, give people avenues to express themselves and connect them within the community of users, and provide equity for all.

Several concerns raised during the meeting, included issues of name-shaming and bullying in social media platforms such as Facebook, the spread of fake news, and privacy settings and choices in using Facebook.

Mr. Caragliano informed the group that the content policy team receives and reviews insights from experts around the world to understand various contexts, based on which content is shared and viewed on Facebook. He stressed that Facebook strives to strike the right balance between giving people a platform to express themselves, and promoting a welcoming and safe environment for the users and viewers.

Consul General Bensurto, Singaporean Consul General Darryl Lau, Chilean Consul General Guillermo Martines, Hungarian Honorary Consul General Eva Voisin, Romanian Honorary Consul General Dana Beldiman, and Deputy Chief of Protocol of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office Anthony Morin joined the visit, along with the LSFCC members composed of spouses and partners of members of the San Francisco Consular Corps and the members of the United States Support Group. END

The League of San Francisco Consular Corps (LSFCC), led by LSFCC President Madame Mariza S. Bensurto (front, third from left), listens to the briefing given by Ms. Brenda Tierney of Facebook (extreme right) during the tour of the Facebook campus, along with Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. (front, second from left) and LSFCC members composed of spouses and partners of members of the San Francisco Consular Corps and the members of the United States Support Support Group. (San Francisco PCG photo)

The League of San Francisco Consular Corps (LSFCC), led by LSFCC President Madame Mariza S. Bensurto (seated middle front row), listens to the briefing given by Facebook Manager of the Product Policy Group David Caragliano (front) during LSFCC’s tour of the Facebook campus. Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr., other members of the San Francisco Consular Corps, LSFCC members, and United States Support Group members also attended the briefing. (San Francisco PCG photo)

Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. (front, left side), and some members of the League of San Francisco Consular Corps (LSFCC) at the lunch hosted by Singapore Consul General Darryl Lau (second from left) and Madam Lau at Shiok Singapore Kitchen in Menlo Park, following the LSFCC’s tour of the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park on 28 February 2019. (San Francisco PCG photo)

For more information, visit www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph, www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/.