FILE PHOTO: Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos gives a keynote address during the Black Hat information security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. July 26, 2017. REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File PhotoSteve Marcus/Reuters
Facebook Inc.’s former security chief is disagreeing with calls to break up the social network.
Instead, Alex Stamos believes the way to fix problems is for Mark Zuckerberg to step aside as chief executive officer.
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and other critics contend that government regulators should require Facebook to spin off popular services such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
But Mr. Stamos believes that just creates “three companies that have the same fundamental problems.”
Facebook has been grappling with such problems as privacy, fake news and hate speech.
Mr. Zuckerberg remains the company’s controlling shareholder, making it unlikely he will be replaced without his consent.
Mr. Stamos left Facebook last year as the company dealt with fallout from bogus information spread on its social network. He spoke this week at a technology conference in Toronto.