WASHINGTON: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes the stress from the US authorities on his social media platforms to take down sure COVID-19 content material in 2021 was “unsuitable”, and mentioned he would resist related makes an attempt sooner or later, in accordance with 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 quite a lot 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 poll this yr, 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 mentioned 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 stress 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 as a result of stress from any administration in both route – 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 “huge win totally free speech”.
Republicans in Congress have been concentrating on social media and tech corporations in current months, alleging that they’re suppressing or censoring conservative views.
Zuckerberg additionally mentioned he wouldn’t be repeating his COVID-19-era push to fund non-profits working to assist US electoral infrastructure as a result 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 enjoying a task,” he wrote.
The letter additionally touched on controversy concerning Fb’s dealing with of a narrative about US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter that was printed by the New York Publish.
Zuckerberg mentioned the story was “quickly demoted” whereas Fb reality checkers probed the potential for it being “a possible Russian disinformation operation”.
The Meta CEO mentioned the story was in the end 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 now not demoted whereas reality checkers examine them.