Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that Facebook faced pressure from the Biden administration to censor certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic, according to a letter sent to the US House Judiciary Committee. Zuckerberg expressed regret over the company's response to these demands, as reported by Time Magazine.
"In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire," Zuckerberg wrote in the letter. He added, "While it was Meta's decision whether to remove content, the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it."
The social media giant faced criticism during the pandemic for removing posts deemed to contain misinformation about the virus or violate its policies. In just over a year, Facebook removed more than 20 million pieces of content, Time Magazine reports. Zuckerberg's admission aligns with statements from other social media executives, such as former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who have expressed concerns about past content moderation decisions.
