NEWS
Zuckerberg says Biden administration pressured Meta to censor COVID-19 content
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg said senior officials in the Biden administration had pressured his social media company to censor COVID-19 content during the pandemic, adding that he would push back if this were to happen again.
In a letter dated Aug. 26, Zuckerberg told the judiciary committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that he regretted not speaking up about this pressure earlier, as well as some decisions the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp had made around removing certain content.
In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn’t agree,” Zuckerberg wrote in the letter, which was posted by the Committee on the Judiciary on its Facebook page.
“I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret we were not more outspoken about it,” he wrote. “I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn’t make today.”
The White House and Meta did not respond to a request for comment outside U.S. business hours.
The letter was addressed to Jim Jordan, the chairman of the committee and a Republican. In its Facebook post, the committee called the letter a “big win for free speech” and said that Zuckerberg had admitted that “Facebook censored Americans”.
In the letter, Zuckerberg also said he would not make any contributions to support electoral infrastructure in this year’s presidential election so as to “not play a role one way or another” in the November vote.
During the last election, which was held in 2020 during the pandemic, the billionaire contributed $400 million via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, his philanthropy venture with his wife, to support election infrastructure, a move that drew criticism and lawsuits from some groups that said the move was partisan.
Barack Obama Issues Grave Warning to Donald Trump, Argues the President Is Following a Trajectory Similar to Historical Tyrants Whose Rule Ultimately Collapsed Under Public and Institutional Pressure
Donald Trump Warns NATO That Continued Opposition to U.S. Greenland Ambitions Could Force America to Withdraw Troops, Cut All Funding, and Potentially Leave the Alliance Entirely, Sending Shockwaves Through Transatlantic Relations
Travis Kelce Gifts Taylor Swift’s Mom Andrea Swift a Luxury Trinket Box for Her 68th Birthday Amid Warm Family Celebrations Showcasing His Thoughtful Bond With Taylor’s Family
European Commission Issues Thunderous Diplomatic Warning to Donald Trump, Declaring Any U.S. Attempt to Seize Greenland Would Trigger a Full-Scale EU Response and Shatter Transatlantic Relations
The Woman Who Survived Breast Cancer, Raised a Global Superstar, Became a Chiefs Kingdom Queen, and Still Makes Time for Easter Egg Hunts — Happy 68th Birthday to the Legendary Mama Swift
President Donald Trump Orders Immediate U.S. Military Intervention in Iran, Citing Rapidly Escalating Events and National Security Concerns Which has Seen many Protesters Killed
Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce Beam with Pride as They Join Donna Kelce for a Fun-Filled Night at The Traitors Season 4 Premiere, Supporting Her as Travis Kelce Misses Out; Donna Kelce Praises Taylor Swift for being the one who got her involved in the movie
Pressure Mounts on Congressional Leadership as Over 140 Lawmakers Unite Behind a High-Stakes Bid to Impeach Donald Trump, Pushing Aggressively and Set to Launch Impeachment Proceedings
Supreme Court Mobilizes Federal Marshals Across the Nation to Enforce Lawful Court Orders After Donald Trump Repeatedly Rejects Judicial Directives, Signaling Unprecedented Step to Uphold Rule of Law
Supreme Court Set to Significantly Limit ICE’s Authority as Justices Consider Narrowing Detention Powers, Expanding Due Process Rights, and Strengthening Constitutional Protections for Immigrants after Multiple Petitions and Recent Killings Despite Donald Trump’s Objection
Former Federal Prosecutor Jack Smith to Testify Before Congress, Providing Inside Account of Investigations Targeting Trump and Controversial Decisions Made During Probes
