Meta CEO Zuckerberg Claims Biden Administration Pressured Facebook to Censor COVID-19 Content

Washington - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly asserted that senior officials from the Biden administration pressured Facebook to censor certain content related to COVID-19 during the pandemic. In a letter to Jim Jordan, the Republican Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg detailed allegations of ongoing pressure over several months to remove content, including humor and satire related to COVID-19.

Zuckerberg expressed regret in the August 26 letter, stating, "I believe the government pressure was inappropriate, and I regret that we were not more outspoken at the time." He confirmed that the social media company would oppose such demands if they were to occur again.

The revelations emerged in a correspondence where Zuckerberg criticized the officials' persistent requests, noting that when Facebook resisted complying, it led to "considerable frustration" among the officials. This letter was also shared on the committee's Facebook page and on its account on 'X'.