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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “Big Tech Companies and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in the Dirksen Building.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Biden administration puts ‘pressure’ on Facebook’s parent company Meta Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed the company had asked to “censor” coronavirus-related content, adding that he regrets some decisions it has made in relation to requests from the US government.
“Over the course of months in 2021, Biden Administration officials, including from the White House, repeatedly pressured us to censor specific COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed significant frustration to our team when we did not comply,” Zuckerberg said in a letter to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.
The letter was posted on the committee’s Facebook page. page The announcement was also made on the X social media platform’s account on Monday.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the letter’s authenticity to CNBC.
Zuckerberg said it was ultimately Meta’s decision whether to remove content, but noted that he believes the government pressure was misguided.
“I regret not being more forthcoming about this issue,” Zuckerberg said.
NBC News reached out to the White House for comment Tuesday morning but did not immediately receive a response.
In a statement POLITICO“In the face of a deadly pandemic, the Administration has encouraged responsible behavior to protect public health and safety,” the White House said.
“Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe tech companies and other private actors should consider the impact of their actions on the American people and make autonomous choices about the information they provide,” they added.
Zuckerberg said some of the choices made by Meta were ones the tech giant wouldn’t make again, “with the benefit of hindsight and new information.”
“As I told my team then, I feel strongly that our content standards should not be compromised in response to pressure from the administration, and we are prepared to fight back if something like this happens again,” Zuckerberg said.
August 2021, Facebook said The company has removed more than 20 million coronavirus-related posts across major social networking sites and Instagram for violating its content rules.
That year, the White House criticized social media companies, including Facebook, for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus on their platforms.
Zuckerberg’s letter highlights the ongoing debate over how much content social media companies should moderate.
The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, has alleged that big tech companies have conspired with the government to censor speech.
Zuckerberg also spoke about his stance on the upcoming US presidential election, noting that he donated to election infrastructure through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in the last election. He said he does not intend to do so in the upcoming election.
“My goal is to remain neutral and not play or appear to play any role,” Zuckerberg said.
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