Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter that the White House has repeatedly pressured the social media giant for months to censor “certain Covid-19 content.” He believes this is wrong and is prepared to fight back if it happens again.
The letter is a boon to House Republicans, who are quick to believe that social media censors right-wing voices. The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, called it “a major victory for free speech” with three conclusions: “1) Biden Harris. The government pressured Facebook to censor Americans. 2) Facebook censored Americans. 3) Facebook throttled the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.”
Facebook and other platforms have downgraded or abolished a 2020 New York Post Story about data found on a laptop Hunter Biden left for repairs. Zuckerberg said the FBI warned Meta about a Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family.
“We made some decisions that, in hindsight and with new information, we wouldn’t make today,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re no longer temporarily downgrading things in the U.S. while we wait for fact-checkers.”
A White House comment to AP on his Covid remarks in the letter read: “In the face of a deadly pandemic, this administration encouraged responsible action to protect public health and safety. Our position has been 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 decisions about the information they present.”
His letter also said that his family foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, will not donate $400 million to election integrity efforts during the upcoming election campaign, as it did in 2020.
“I know some people believe this work has benefited one party more than the other,” he wrote. “My goal is to remain neutral and not play a role – or even appear to play a role – in either direction. As such, I do not plan to make a similar contribution this election cycle.”
