AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes quits Facebook citing New Zealand mass shooting

Citing “hate” being transmitted on social media, Fernandes said that he will be active on Twitter.

AirAsia group chief Tony Fernandes. (File Photo | AFP)

AirAsia Group Bhd Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes closed his Facebook account, saying the live streaming of the mass shooting in New Zealand on the platform was too much for him.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Fernandes said Facebook Inc. could have done more and that his Facebook account had 670,000 followers.

Facebook could have done more to stop some of this. I myself have been a victim of so many fake bitcoin and other stories. 17 mins of a live stream of killing and hate!!!! Its need to clean up and not just think of financials.

— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) March 17, 2019

He said earlier he may shut his Twitter page, citing “hate” being transmitted on social media. Fernandes’ Twitter account has about 1.29 million followers and he has tweeted more than 20,300 times since joining in 2008, often commenting on the performance of his companies, including one of Asia’s biggest discount carriers, and sports teams including a soccer team he owns a stake in.

It is a great platform to communicate. Strong engagement and very useful but New Zealand was to much for me to take along with all the other issues.

— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) March 17, 2019

Fernandes is the co-owner of English soccer club Queens Park Rangers and is among business executives well known for having a social media presence. In 2014, he took to tweeting after an AirAsia flight crashed in Indonesia with 162 people on board, seeking to communicate to the public about the incident.

Among Fernandes Twitter posts about shutting his Facebook account, he included a comment suggesting he’ll remain on Twitter: “But on Twitter I think the battle for me goes on."