Mar 14, 2019 - Technology

Top execs leaving embattled Facebook

David McCabe

A number of people look at a computer screen — Departing Facebook executive Chris Cox (center). Photo: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images

Chris Cox, the top product executive at Facebook, is leaving the company along with Chris Daniels, the executive in charge of the WhatsApp messaging platform, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday.

Why it matters: These are notable departures at a time when the company says it is committed putting privacy first in its products, after a series of scandals over how it handles customer data. Cox in particular was also a top lieutenant to Zuckerberg.

What they're saying: Both Zuckerberg and Cox, in his own note, alluded to the privacy-focused image Facebook is now trying to project.

"As Mark has outlined, we are turning a new page in our product direction, focused on an encrypted, interoperable, messaging network," Cox said. "This will be a big project and we will need leaders who are excited to see the new direction through."

What's next: Zuckerberg said that Facebook app exec Will Cathcart would take charge of WhatsApp, and that another, Fidji Simo, will take over running the Facebook app.

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Top execs leaving embattled Facebook

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