Zuckerberg claims Biden asked for Covid censorship
Date
8/28/2024 8:12:34 AM
(MENAFN) Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has revealed that the Biden administration exerted significant pressure on his company to censor certain social media content related to Covid-19. In a letter addressed to Republican Representative Jim Jordan and released by the GOP caucus of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg detailed the extent of this pressure from senior officials within the White House in 2021.
According to Zuckerberg, officials from the Biden administration, including members of the White House, repeatedly urged Meta to take action against specific posts and content related to the pandemic. This pressure reportedly extended to various types of content, including humor and satire. Zuckerberg described the frustration expressed by White House officials when Meta did not fully comply with these requests. Despite the external pressure, he emphasized that the final decisions on content moderation rested with Meta, and the company maintained control over its enforcement policies.
Zuckerberg expressed regret over the company’s response to the government’s pressure, stating that, in hindsight, Meta might have made different decisions regarding Covid-19 content moderation. He acknowledged that the company’s approach to handling such pressures was flawed and admitted that they should have been more vocal against the government’s demands.
In light of these revelations, Zuckerberg affirmed that Meta should not alter its content standards due to pressure from any administration. He assured that the company is prepared to resist similar pressures in the future. Additionally, Zuckerberg announced his intention to remain politically neutral in the run-up to the November elections, stating that he would avoid making contributions that could benefit either political party.
This disclosure highlights the ongoing debate over the role of social media platforms in content moderation and the influence of government pressure on their policies.
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