Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has criticized the Biden administration’s approach to social media content moderation. He described the pressure his company faced from the White House during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Zuckerberg detailed instances where government officials demanded the removal of certain posts. They include content he described as humorous or truthful.
“These people from the Biden administration would call up our team and, like, scream at them and curse,” Zuckerberg said on the show. “And they’re like, ‘No, you have to take that down.'”
Zuckerberg cited one example involving a meme featuring actor Leonardo DiCaprio. It implied that COVID-19 vaccine recipients might later qualify for a class-action lawsuit.
According to Zuckerberg, despite requests from the Biden administration to remove the meme, Meta declined to do so, with their CEO stating, “We’re not going to take down humor.”
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He also noted instances where the administration requested the removal of posts discussing vaccine side effects, even when the information was accurate.
“We were like, no, we’re not gonna take down things that are true, that’s ridiculous,” Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg described the situation as “brutal,” claiming that multiple government agencies investigated and scrutinized Meta during this period.
The podcast appearance comes as Meta undergoes significant policy shifts, including the disbandment of its fact-checking team and the termination of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
[Kennedy]
META CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG IS TAKING HIS CRITICISM OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MODERATION TO NEW HEIGHTS.
DURING A RECENT APPEARANCE ON JOE ROGAN’S PODCAST, THE FACEBOOK FOUNDER SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE HE CLAIMS THE WHITE HOUSE EXERTED ON HIS COMPANY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
THIS INCLUDED PHONE CALLS TO HIS TEAM WITH DEMANDS TO REMOVE CERTAIN POSTS-
AS ZUCKERBERG DESCRIBED INCIDENTS WHERE OFFICIALS SCREAMED AND CURSED AT HIS TEAM OVER CONTENT, INCLUDING MEMES.
“All these different agencies and branches of government basically just like started investigating, coming after our company. It was brutal.”
ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE CITED BY ZUCKERBERG INVOLVED A MEME FEATURING ACTOR LEONARDO DICAPRIO POINTING AT A TV.
THE MEME SUGGESTED THAT PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE COVID-19 VACCINE MIGHT LATER QUALIFY FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT-
AND, ACCORDING TO ZUCKERBERG, THE WHITE HOUSE PUSHED META TO REMOVE IT FROM THEIR WEBSITE.
ZUCKERBERG SAID META ULTIMATELY DECLINED, TELLING BIDEN OFFICIALS, “WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE DOWN HUMOR.”
HE ADDED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO PUSHED FOR THE REMOVAL OF POSTS ABOUT VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS, EVEN WHEN THE CONTENT WAS TRUTHFUL.
“Basically, it just got to this point where we were like, No, we’re not gonna, we’re not gonna take down things that are true, that’s ridiculous.”
THE TIMING OF ZUCKERBERG’S PODCAST APPEARANCE COINCIDED WITH NOTABLE POLICY CHANGES AT META AS PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP PREPARES TO ENTER THE WHITE HOUSE.
AS WE’VE REPORTED – THE COMPANY RECENTLY DISBANDED ITS TEAM OF FACT-CHECKERS AND TERMINATED ITS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KENNEDY FELTON.
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