Washington: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed strong disagreement with the US government's pressure on social media platforms to remove specific Covid-19 content in 2021. In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg described the pressure as "wrong" and vowed to resist similar demands in the future.
The letter, addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and released by Republican members of the committee, highlights several issues related to content moderation on Zuckerberg's platforms. He also stated that he would not continue funding efforts for US election infrastructure, which had previously faced criticism from Republicans.
As the US presidential election approaches, Zuckerberg's remarks come amid heightened scrutiny over online misinformation about the candidates. Regarding the pandemic, Zuckerberg mentioned that the Biden administration had pressured his team for months to censor various Covid-19 content, including humor and satire. "I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it," Zuckerberg said in the letter.
He emphasized that Meta would not compromise its content standards under pressure from any administration. "We are prepared to push back if similar situations arise in the future," he added.
The letter was seen as a victory by Republicans, who have been critical of social media and tech companies for allegedly suppressing conservative viewpoints. The House Judiciary Committee's social media account on platform X (formerly Twitter) hailed the letter as a "big win for free speech."
Zuckerberg also mentioned that he would not replicate his previous efforts to fund non-profits supporting US electoral infrastructure, noting that such donations had been perceived as partisan by Republicans. "My goal is to remain neutral and avoid any appearance of bias," he wrote.
Additionally, the letter addressed controversy surrounding Facebook's handling of a story about President Joe Biden's son Hunter, published by the New York Post. Zuckerberg explained that the story was temporarily demoted while Facebook fact-checkers investigated potential links to Russian disinformation. The story was eventually found not to be part of such an operation, and Facebook has since revised its policy to prevent the demotion of posts during fact-checking.
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