Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says elder Biden management officials pressured Facebook to “censor” immoderate COVID-19 contented during nan pandemic and vowed that nan societal media elephantine would push backmost if it faced specified demands again.

In a missive to Rep. Jim Jordan, nan Republican chair of nan House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg alleges that nan officials, including those from nan White House, “repeatedly pressured” Facebook for months to return down “certain COVID-19 contented including joke and satire.”

The officials “expressed a batch of frustration” erstwhile nan institution didn’t agree, he said successful nan letter.

“I judge nan authorities unit was incorrect and I regret that we were not much outspoken astir it,” Zuckerberg wrote successful nan missive dated Aug. 26 and posted connected nan committee’s Facebook page and to its relationship connected X.

The missive is nan latest repudiation by Zuckerberg of efforts to target misinformation astir nan coronavirus pandemic during and aft nan 2020 statesmanlike election, peculiarly arsenic allegations person emerged that immoderate posts were deleted aliases restricted wrongly.

“I besides deliberation we made immoderate choices that, pinch nan use of hindsight and caller information, we wouldn’t make today,” he said, without elaborating. “We’re fresh to push backmost if thing for illustration this happens again.”

In response, nan White House said successful a connection that, “When confronted pinch a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect nationalist wellness and safety. Our position has been clear and consistent: we judge tech companies and different backstage actors should return into relationship nan effects their actions person connected nan American people, while making independent choices astir nan accusation they present.”

Experts pass this year’s U.S. predetermination could beryllium swamped by misinformation connected societal media pinch nan proliferation of artificial intelligence and different devices to nutrient mendacious news stories and contented that could mislead voters.

Facebook successful early 2021 appended what Zuckerberg called labels pinch “credible information” to posts astir COVID-19 vaccines. That’s aft it moved successful April 2020 — conscionable arsenic nan microorganism had led to world shutdowns and extremist changes successful mundane life — to pass users who shared misinformation astir COVID-19.

Conservatives person agelong derided Facebook and different awesome tech companies arsenic favoring wide priorities and accused them of censorship.

Zuckerberg has tried to alteration nan company’s cognition connected nan right, going connected podcaster Joe Rogan’s show successful 2022 and complimenting Republican nominee Donald Trump’s consequence to an assassination effort arsenic “badass.” He sent Monday’s missive to nan House Judiciary Committee, whose chairman, Jordan, is simply a longtime Trump ally.

Zuckerberg besides said he would nary longer donate money to widen predetermination entree for voters done nan Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, nan institution that runs nan philanthropy for him and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

The mates antecedently donated $400 cardinal to thief section predetermination offices hole for voters successful nan 2020 statesmanlike election, pinch costs utilized for protective instrumentality to forestall nan dispersed of nan coronavirus astatine polling sites, drive-thru voting locations and instrumentality to process message ballots.

“I cognize that immoderate group judge this activity benefited 1 statement complete nan other” contempt analyses showing otherwise, he said. “My extremity is to beryllium neutral and not play a domiciled 1 measurement aliases different – aliases to moreover look to beryllium playing a role. So I don’t scheme connected making a akin publication this cycle.”