Zuckerberg Accuses Biden Administration of Pressuring Meta to Censor COVID Content

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee that the Biden-Harris administration pressured Meta to censor COVID-19 content. He also mentioned the regret of not being more outspoken and discussed the demotion of a story on Biden family corruption allegations.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused the Biden-Harris administration of exerting pressure on the platform to censor posts related to COVID-19. He expressed his regret for not being more vocal about the situation in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee. Zuckerberg highlighted past decisions that, in hindsight, the company wouldn't make today.

According to Zuckerberg, in 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration persistently pressured Meta's teams to censor various types of COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, causing frustration when Meta did not comply. Despite the pressure, Zuckerberg asserted that the final decision to censor content rested with Meta and regretted not pushing back against the government's demands.

The House Judiciary Committee publicized Zuckerberg's letter, highlighting how the administration pressured Facebook to censor Americans and the platform's decision to throttle the Hunter Biden laptop story. Zuckerberg also recalled an incident where the FBI warned Meta of a potential disinformation operation, leading Meta to demote a story on allegations against Joe Biden's family, which he now believes was not necessary.

(With inputs from agencies.)