WASHINGTON: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes the strain from the US authorities on his social media platforms to take down sure COVID-19 content material in 2021 was “unsuitable”, and stated he would resist related makes an attempt sooner or later, in response to a letter submitted to a US congressional committee.
Within the letter, addressed to Home Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and launched by Republicans on the committee, Zuckerberg addressed a variety of controversies centred on content material moderation on his platforms.
He additionally asserted that he didn’t plan on repeating funding efforts for US election infrastructure forward of the nation’s presidential ballot this 12 months, donations that had drawn sharp criticism from Republicans.
Zuckerberg’s submission to the committee comes simply over two months out from a tightly contested US presidential election race, with the highlight on widespread on-line misinformation in regards to the candidates.
Relating to the pandemic, the Fb founder stated the Biden administration had in 2021 “repeatedly pressured our groups for months to censor sure COVID-19 content material, together with humor and satire”.
“I consider the federal government strain was unsuitable, and I remorse that we weren’t extra outspoken about it,” Zuckerberg wrote.
“I really feel strongly that we must always not compromise our content material requirements because of strain from any administration in both path – and we’re able to push again if one thing like this occurs once more.”
Republicans took the letter as a victory, with the Republicans’ Home Judiciary Committee account on social media platform X, previously Twitter, labeling it a “massive win without cost speech”.
Republicans in Congress have been focusing on social media and tech firms in current months, alleging that they’re suppressing or censoring conservative views.
Zuckerberg additionally stated he wouldn’t be repeating his COVID-19-era push to fund non-profits working to help US electoral infrastructure because of such donations being seen as partisan by Republicans.
“My purpose is to be impartial and never play a task a technique or one other – or to even look like taking part in a task,” he wrote.
The letter additionally touched on controversy relating to Fb’s dealing with of a narrative about US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter that was printed by the New York Submit.
Zuckerberg stated the story was “briefly demoted” whereas Fb truth checkers probed the potential for it being “a possible Russian disinformation operation”.
The Meta CEO stated the story was finally discovered to not be a part of such an operation and that the platform has modified its coverage such that posts within the US are not demoted whereas truth checkers examine them.
