Summary
Meta’s choice to put an anti-LGBTQ+ activist in charge of advising on AI bias shows the platform’s deep hypocrisy. As your next congressman, I’ll fight to end this kind of bias and hold Big Tech accountable.
By Ricky Dana
Meta’s latest “fix” for AI bias is telling: instead of choosing a voice for inclusion, Facebook’s parent company tapped Robby Starbuck—well-known for anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-DEI activism—to advise on correcting political and ideological bias in its AI.
This decision comes after Starbuck sued Meta for defamation, alleging its AI chatbot falsely linked him to the January 6 Capitol riot and QAnon. Meta settled the case in August 2025, appointing him as a consultant in AI fairness. Starbuck had sought over $5 million in damages. Meta now claims they have “made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias.”
But appointing an activist with a history of targeting LGBTQ+ initiatives sends a troubling message. Critics see this as Meta leaning into conservative accusations of “woke bias,” not pursuing neutral AI. Observers warn this tilt may reinforce harmful ideologies, especially as experts say bias mitigation is difficult, nuanced, and never one-sided.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum. Since January 2025, Meta has dismantled DEI initiatives, relaxed hate-speech protections—allowing users to label LGBTQ+ identities mentally ill—and ditched third-party fact-checking in favor of a community notes system. LGBTQ+ users and critics have called these moves demeaning and dangerous.
Meta’s content and algorithm practices have a history of bias. Studies have shown Facebook’s ad delivery system disproportionately served lighter-skinned faces and that content moderation algorithms favored white men over Black children. LGBTQ+ users have long flagged misclassifications—from Grindr being linked to predatory content to biased facial recognition against trans individuals.
All of this paints a stark picture: one of the biggest tech platforms in the world promises to fight bias, but repeatedly chooses the very people and policies that undermine marginalized voices. It’s a reminder that promises without principles—and optics without accountability—are just empty gestures.
This isn’t just about Facebook or Meta—it’s about whether powerful corporations can control the truth unchecked. When I’m elected as your congressman, I’ll fight to end this kind of bias. That means demanding transparency in how Big Tech’s algorithms work, passing laws to protect rural and marginalized voices from being silenced, and ensuring that technology serves the people, not just the billionaire class that owns it. Missouri families deserve a level playing field, both online and off.
Sources:
LGBTQ Nation – Zuckerberg taps anti-LGBTQ activist to advise Meta on AI bias
Wall Street Journal – Meta, Robby Starbuck settle AI defamation lawsuit
Axios – Meta’s move on AI bias raises risk, eyebrows
arXiv – Algorithmic bias in AI systems
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