Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis” at the Dirksen Building on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
Tom Williams | Chongqing Roll Call Company | Getty Images
Biden administration “puts pressure” on Facebook parent company Yuan The social media giant's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg claimed they were “reviewing” content related to Covid-19, adding that he was concerned about some decisions made at the request of the US government Pity.
“In 2021, senior Biden administration officials, including the White House, have pressured our team for months to review certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and when we disagreed, they Our team expresses great dismay,” Zuckerberg wrote in a letter to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.
The letter was posted on the committee's Facebook page Page and posted its account on the X social media platform on Monday.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the letter's authenticity to CNBC.
Zuckerberg said it was ultimately Meta's decision to remove any content, but noted that he believed the so-called “government pressure was misplaced.”
“I regret that we weren't more vocal about this,” 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“When faced with a deadly pandemic, my administration encourages responsible action to protect public health and safety,” the White House said.
“Our position is clear and consistent: We believe technology companies and other private actors should consider the impact of their actions on the American people while making independent choices about the information they provide,” it added.
Zuckerberg said Meta made some choices and “with the benefit of hindsight and new information,” the tech giant wouldn't make the same choices again.
“As I told our team at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards because of pressure from any government, and if something like this happens again, we are ready to fight back,” Zuckerberg said.
August 2021, Facebook explain The company removed more than 20 million Covid-19-related posts on major social networking sites and Instagram for violating its content rules.
That year, the White House criticized social media companies like Facebook for allowing coronavirus-related misinformation to spread on their platforms.
Zuckerberg's letter highlights the ongoing debate over the extent to which social media companies should moderate content.
The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, has accused Big Tech of colluding with the government to censor speech.
Zuckerberg also discussed his stance on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, noting his contribution to electoral infrastructure through the Zuckerberg Chan Initiative during the last voting cycle. He said he would not do so in the upcoming election.
“My goal is to remain neutral and not play a role in a certain way or even appear to be playing a role,” Zuckerberg said.