Zuckerberg Alleges Government Pressure to Censor COVID-19 Content

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that senior officials in the Biden administration pressured his company to censor COVID-19 content during the pandemic. He expressed regret for not speaking up sooner and vowed to resist similar pressures in the future. Zuckerberg also announced he would refrain from contributing to electoral infrastructure in the upcoming presidential election.

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that senior officials in the Biden administration exerted pressure on his social media company to censor COVID-19 content during the pandemic. In a letter dated Aug. 26, Zuckerberg communicated his regrets for not voicing opposition to this pressure earlier and for some content removal decisions made by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp during that time.

According to Zuckerberg, in 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration repeatedly urged Meta's teams for months to censor various COVID-19 content, including humor and satire. He disclosed that this governmental pressure caused frustration within Meta's teams. Zuckerberg stated, "I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret we were not more outspoken about it."

The White House and Meta have yet to respond to requests for comment. Addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Zuckerberg's letter was hailed by the Committee as a "big win for free speech." Additionally, Zuckerberg announced he would not financially support electoral infrastructure in this year's presidential election, a contrast to his $400 million contribution during the last election through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

(With inputs from agencies.)