Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has accused the Joe Biden administration of “pushing” to censor posts about the Covid-19 vaccine on his platforms.
In a surprise appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg said he was left staggered by the extent to which the US government lobbied to have posts taken down.
The 40-year-old co-founded Meta Platforms, which rules the roost over social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
In meetings with senior officials during the Covid pandemic, Zuckerberg said representatives from his company were pressured to remove posts that painted the vaccine in a negative light.
“I’m generally pretty pro-vaccine. I think on the balance, the vaccines are more positive than negative”, he told Joe Rogan.
“I think that while they’re trying to push that program, they also tried to censor anyone who was basically arguing against it.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
“They pushed us super hard to take down things that were honestly true. They basically pushed us and said, ‘anything that says vaccines might have side effects you basically need to take down’.
“I was just like, ‘well, we’re just not going to do that’.”
Asked by Rogan who was asking Meta chiefs to remove posts, he said: “It was people in the Biden administration.
“I wasn’t involved in those conversations directly.”
It comes after a Meta unveiled a marked shift in its content moderation strategy, marking a return to “free expression” on its platforms.
In a video posted on Tuesday, Zuckerberg declared: "We're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms."
The company will eliminate its fact-checking programme in the United States, replacing it with a community-based system similar to that used by X.
The changes come after Meta executives admitted their previous content moderation system had "gone too far" due to political pressure.
The policy shift follows a series of moves by Zuckerberg to align with incoming US President Donald Trump's administration.
The Meta chief recently dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where they discussed the incoming administration's economic plans.
Meta has also pledged a £1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund, marking a significant departure from previous years when the company made no such contributions.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan praised Zuckerberg this week for ending censorship efforts at Meta, urging other tech companies to follow suit.
The changes come after Zuckerberg admitted feeling pressure from the Biden administration to censor certain content, particularly regarding COVID-19.
Find Out More...
In a surprise appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg said he was left staggered by the extent to which the US government lobbied to have posts taken down.
The 40-year-old co-founded Meta Platforms, which rules the roost over social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
In meetings with senior officials during the Covid pandemic, Zuckerberg said representatives from his company were pressured to remove posts that painted the vaccine in a negative light.
“I’m generally pretty pro-vaccine. I think on the balance, the vaccines are more positive than negative”, he told Joe Rogan.
“I think that while they’re trying to push that program, they also tried to censor anyone who was basically arguing against it.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Biden gaffe in tone-deaf joke telling Harris to 'fire away' as LA wildfires rage and 10 die
- Trump 'searching for disease to justify closing Mexico border' and expel migrants on health grounds
- Man arrested on suspicion of starting Los Angeles fire as California death toll hits 10
“They pushed us super hard to take down things that were honestly true. They basically pushed us and said, ‘anything that says vaccines might have side effects you basically need to take down’.
“I was just like, ‘well, we’re just not going to do that’.”
Asked by Rogan who was asking Meta chiefs to remove posts, he said: “It was people in the Biden administration.
“I wasn’t involved in those conversations directly.”
It comes after a Meta unveiled a marked shift in its content moderation strategy, marking a return to “free expression” on its platforms.
In a video posted on Tuesday, Zuckerberg declared: "We're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms."
The company will eliminate its fact-checking programme in the United States, replacing it with a community-based system similar to that used by X.
The changes come after Meta executives admitted their previous content moderation system had "gone too far" due to political pressure.
The policy shift follows a series of moves by Zuckerberg to align with incoming US President Donald Trump's administration.
The Meta chief recently dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where they discussed the incoming administration's economic plans.
Meta has also pledged a £1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund, marking a significant departure from previous years when the company made no such contributions.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan praised Zuckerberg this week for ending censorship efforts at Meta, urging other tech companies to follow suit.
The changes come after Zuckerberg admitted feeling pressure from the Biden administration to censor certain content, particularly regarding COVID-19.
Find Out More...