Zuckerberg claims Biden officials pressured Meta to censor truthful vaccine discussions.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in an interview with Joe Rogan that his employees faced significant pressure from the Biden administration to censor content on social media platforms.
Zuckerberg said that during the administration’s vaccine rollout, his team was urged to remove truthful statements regarding vaccine side effects. He insisted that Meta would not comply with demands to take down accurate information.
He described instances where representatives from the Biden administration would contact Meta and aggressively demand censorship, leading to conflicts between the company and the government.
[stockdio-historical-chart stockExchange=”USA” symbol=”meta” displayPrices=”Lines” performance=”false” allowPeriodChange=”false” height=”350px”]
Zuckerberg expressed concern over what he termed “government censorship,” stating that the government’s actions violated First Amendment rights. He highlighted that while companies are not bound by free speech, the government is not permitted to exert control over speech.
He also commented on the political ramifications of this pressure, joking that officials who pushed for censorship contributed to their party’s loss in the 2024 election.
Zuckerberg’s comments come as Meta is shifting its content moderation policies to enhance free expression across its platforms, admitting that its moderation practices have been excessive. This change signals a significant adjustment in how the company approaches content management moving forward.
