Oculus founder Palmer Luckey says his time at Facebook taught him to “be careful who you trust,” in a new feature Wired published Monday.
The virtual reality executive left Facebook in March 2017 after a tumultuous tenure at the social media giant. Facebook bought Oculus, which develops virtual reality technology, for $2 billion in 2014.
Luckey had come under scrutiny for right-leaning political donations and sat at the center of a lawsuit against Facebook that claimed Luckey “commercially exploited” computer code and trade secrets.
The other lesson he learned from his three years at Facebook: “Be careful who has control,” Luckey told Wired.
It’s a familiar theme from former Facebook executives.
Several former members of the company’s upper ranks have spoken out against Facebook in recent months, claiming the platform is “ripping apart” society and that executives consciously exploited human vulnerabilities in designing the service.
Most recently WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum left the company, reportedly over disagreements about Facebook’s ad-based business model. Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 bilion in 2014, its biggest acquisition ever.
Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg have also faced questions of political bias against Republican views — particularly during a two-day appearance before Congress in April. Zuckerberg said then Luckey’s dismissal was not related to his personal politics.
Luckey now heads a Peter Thiel-backed VR venture to build a virtual border wall and curtail unauthorized border crossings.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey on his time at Facebook: 'Be careful who you trust'