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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently shared details about his company’s struggles with censorship demands from the Biden administration during an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan.
Zuckerberg described how employees at Meta faced intense pressure, including shouting and threats, as government officials allegedly demanded the removal of content related to COVID-19 and vaccine discussions.
"During the Biden administration, when they were rolling out the vaccine program, they tried to censor anyone arguing against it," Zuckerberg explained.
"They pushed us hard to take down things that, honestly, were true—like posts saying vaccines might have side effects. I said, ‘We’re not going to do that. That’s inarguably true.’”
When Rogan pressed him to clarify who made these demands, Zuckerberg said, “It was people in the Biden administration. They’d call up our team, scream at them, curse, and push for us to take down content. Much of this has come out in congressional investigations.”
Zuckerberg highlighted how this conflict reached a breaking point when Meta refused to comply with demands to remove content they deemed factually accurate. "We got to a point where we said, ‘No, we’re not going to take down things that are true. That’s ridiculous.’”
The situation escalated when President Biden publicly criticized social media companies, accusing them of “killing people” by allowing vaccine misinformation.
According to Zuckerberg, this led to various government agencies investigating Meta. “It was brutal,” he recalled. “All these agencies just started coming after us.”
Despite the pressure, Zuckerberg maintained that the government’s actions violated constitutional protections. "The First Amendment applies to the government, not companies," he said.
“The government isn’t allowed to censor this stuff. Having people in the administration calling up our team, yelling, cursing, and threatening repercussions if we didn’t take down true content is pretty bad.”
Zuckerberg also revealed Meta’s decision to end its controversial fact-checking practices and lift restrictions on free speech across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. "We’ve gone too far," he admitted. "This change will restore free expression on our platforms."
When Rogan asked whether anyone in the government faced accountability for their actions, Zuckerberg joked, “I mean, they lost the election.”
Meta’s policy shift represents a significant turn in its approach to content moderation, reflecting Zuckerberg’s acknowledgment of the challenges of balancing free expression with external pressures. The revelations also reignite debates about the role of Big Tech, government influence, and the boundaries of free speech.
This ongoing clash between Meta and the Biden administration underscores the tension between government efforts to combat misinformation and the constitutional limits of such actions.
With Zuckerberg’s comments shedding light on these behind-the-scenes struggles, the debate over censorship and free speech is far from over.
