Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed on Friday that the Biden administration exerted significant pressure on Facebook to censor content related to COVID-19 vaccines. The statement was made during his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
During the wide-ranging interview, Zuckerberg addressed the issue of government interference in online platforms. He described the Biden administration’s efforts to suppress vaccine-related discussions as the most extreme instance of censorship he had experienced. “This hit the most extreme during the Biden Administration when they were trying to roll out the vaccine program,” Zuckerberg stated. While expressing general support for vaccine initiatives, he noted, “They pushed us super hard to take down things that were honestly true. They said anything that suggests vaccines might have side effects needs to be removed, and I was just like, well, we’re not going to do that.”
Zuckerberg disclosed that administration officials would directly contact Facebook’s teams, demanding the removal of specific posts. “They told us to take down things that talk about vaccine side effects,” he said, adding that his team resisted orders to censor truthful or satirical content. For instance, he highlighted a meme involving actor Leonardo DiCaprio, which joked about future class-action lawsuits related to vaccines. Despite government insistence, Facebook refused to remove it, citing its commitment to protecting humor and factual information.
Biden’s criticism On Facebook
The situation escalated after President Biden publicly criticized platforms like Facebook, accusing them of “killing people” by allowing vaccine misinformation to spread. Zuckerberg claimed this led to intensified investigations and scrutiny of Meta by various government agencies. “It was brutal,” he remarked, describing the pressure as unprecedented.
To address concerns over censorship and promote free expression, Zuckerberg announced changes to Facebook’s content moderation approach. Meta is replacing its fact-checking system in the U.S. with a user-driven “Community Notes” feature, similar to the one used by X (formerly Twitter), as reported by the New York Post.
Zuckerberg’s comments have reignited debates over government influence on social media platforms and the fine line between combating misinformation and preserving free speech.
(With ANI Inputs)
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