(MENAFN- Live Mint) Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that senior Biden administration officials pressured facebook to censor certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic. In a letter addressed to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg alleged that officials from the White House and other agencies "repeatedly pressured" facebook for months to remove specific COVID-19 content, including humor and satire.
Mark Zuckerberg stated that the officials "expressed a lot of frustration" when Facebook did not comply with these demands. "I believe the government pressure was wrong and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it," Zuckerberg wrote in the August 26 letter, which was posted on the committee's Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter).
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The letter represents Zuckerberg's latest critique of efforts to manage misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic. He noted that, with the benefit of hindsight, some decisions made during this period might have been different. "I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," he said, adding,“We're ready to push back if something like this happens again.”
In response, the White House maintained that their approach was focused on public health. "When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety. Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe tech companies and other private actors should take into account the effects their actions have on the American people, while making independent choices about the information they present," said a White House spokesperson.
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As the 2024 US election approaches, concerns about misinformation on social media are rising, particularly with the increasing use of artificial intelligence to create false news content. During the pandemic, Facebook added labels with“credible information” to posts about COVID-19 vaccines and took steps to warn users about misinformation related to the virus.
Conservatives have long criticized Facebook and other tech giants for perceived liberal bias and censorship. In an attempt to address these concerns, Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast in 2022 and praised Republican nominee Donald Trump's response to an assassination attempt as“badass.” Furthermore, Zuckerberg announced that he would cease donations from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative aimed at expanding voter access.
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This decision comes after the couple's $400 million donation in 2020 was used for protective measures at polling sites and other election-related support, which some critics claimed unfairly benefited one party over the other.
“My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another - or to even appear to be playing a role. So I don't plan on making a similar contribution this cycle,” Zuckerberg concluded.
(With agency inputs)
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