In a letter to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the Biden administration repeatedly pressured Facebook teams to censor content related to COVID-19 in 2021.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that this pressure was wrong and expressed regret for not being more outspoken about it at the time.
The letter comes in response to increasing scrutiny from Republicans, who have long accused social media platforms of exhibiting bias against conservative viewpoints. Zuckerberg’s testimony places significant responsibility on the Biden administration’s staff, noting that the President himself is not seeking re-election.
Facebook’s Content Moderation Efforts During the Pandemic
At the start of the pandemic, Facebook began removing posts containing COVID-19 misinformation and later expanded its efforts to include false claims about the vaccine. The platform also took action against public figures and organizations spreading inaccurate information.
However, Facebook faced criticism from government officials who argued that they were not doing enough to combat misinformation. In July 2021, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urged social media platforms to adjust their algorithms to prevent the amplification of misinformation, while President Biden asserted that platforms like Facebook were endangering lives with misleading information about the virus.
The Biden Administration’s Alleged Pressure on Facebook
Zuckerberg’s letter details how White House officials pressured his teams for several months to restrict specific COVID-19-related content, including humor and satire. He noted that officials expressed significant frustration when his team did not comply.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that the decision to acquiesce to this pressure was ultimately his and his team’s. He stated, “I believe the government pressure was wrong and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.” He emphasized his conviction that content standards should not be compromised based on pressure from any administration, asserting he would resist similar situations in the future.
Facebook’s Handling of the Hunter Biden Laptop Story
Zuckerberg’s letter also addressed Facebook’s decision to temporarily reduce the visibility of a New York Post article concerning President Biden’s son, Hunter, in 2020. He indicated that the platform limited the article’s reach after receiving a warning from the FBI regarding potential Russian disinformation. However, Zuckerberg has since acknowledged that the platform “shouldn’t have demoted the story” and confirmed that it no longer demotes stories pending fact-checking.
Mark Zuckerberg just admitted three things:
1. Biden-Harris Admin “pressured” Facebook to censor Americans.
Advertisement2. Facebook censored Americans.
3. Facebook throttled the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Big win for free speech. pic.twitter.com/ALlbZd9l6K
Advertisement— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 26, 2024
In response to Zuckerberg’s letter, the White House emphasized that the administration encouraged responsible actions to safeguard public health during the pandemic. It reiterated its stance that tech companies should consider the impact of their actions on the American populace while making independent decisions about the information they share.
