A spokesperson for Mark Zuckerberg explained why his superyacht Launchpad did not initially respond to a Coast Guard request for assistance for a stranded boat. "As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway," the spokesperson said.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the lack of response, writing on Facebook, "Vessels are supposed to monitor channel 16 at all times, for this exact purpose. Billionaires don’t follow that rule either?" US regulations require any vessel with a VHF marine radiotelephone to maintain watch on channel 16 when not in use. Dual-watch features allow monitoring multiple channels, so nearby ships should have heard the distress call.

Zuckerberg’s superyacht has previously been criticized for turning off its AIS transponder to avoid public tracking, a tactic also used by "shadow fleet" vessels. The Coast Guard typically requires AIS activation in US waters. Tracking data shed light on this latest controversy surrounding Launchpad.