Because if it protects elections well enough, it gains tremendous political power than it can later profit from.
What politician will propose legislation hurting FB when FB is the gatekeeper to a fair election ? The FB election protection group can just slip for a while - they have so much to do - and foreign actors spread fake news that messes up the politician's re-election. Just letting fake news drop the politician's polling numbers for a few weeks will rattle them enough. What a shame, couldn't be helped.
What politician will propose legislation hurting FB when FB is the gatekeeper to a fair election ? The FB election protection group can just slip for a while - they have so much to do - and foreign actors spread fake news that messes up the politician's re-election. Just letting fake news drop the politician's polling numbers for a few weeks will rattle them enough. What a shame, couldn't be helped.
These may sound like a fever dream now.