Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused senior officials in the Joe Biden administration of pressuring Facebook to ‘censor’ certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic, News About Nigeria reports.
In a letter addressed to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg claimed that officials, including those from the White House, repeatedly urged Facebook to remove specific COVID-19 content, including humor and satire.
Zuckerberg’s letter, dated August 26, stated that the Biden administration’s pressure began in 2021 and continued for several months.
He expressed regret that Facebook did not push back more forcefully against these demands.
Zuckerberg also acknowledged that, in hindsight, some decisions made by Facebook during the pandemic might have been different with the benefit of new information.
He affirmed that Facebook is prepared to resist similar pressure in the future.
“I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it,” Zuckerberg wrote.
“I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction — and we’re ready to push back if something like this happens again.”
In response, the White House defended its actions during the pandemic, stating that it encouraged responsible measures to protect public health and safety.
The administration maintained that while it advocated for tech companies to consider the impact of their actions on the public, it respected their independence in making decisions about the content they present.
“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.”
