Biden Officials Would 'Scream', 'Curse' At Meta Team To Take Down Content

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently detailed how officials from the Biden administration would aggressively pressure Facebook to remove certain content, including COVID-19-related posts. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Zuckerberg shared that administration officials would call Facebook's team and "scream" and "curse" at them over the removal of specific posts. Zuckerberg recounted, "It just got to this point where we were like, 'No, we're not gonna, we're not gonna take down things that are true. That's ridiculous.'"

This marks the latest instance where Zuckerberg has addressed the issue of governmental pressure on social media platforms. In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan last year, Zuckerberg revealed that the White House "repeatedly pressured" Facebook to remove content related to COVID-19, including satire and humor. While Facebook occasionally complied, Zuckerberg emphasized that, in hindsight, they would have made different decisions. He stated, "We made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today."

The White House defended its actions, asserting that during a deadly pandemic, it was critical to encourage responsible actions to protect public health. The administration emphasized that tech companies should consider the effects their content moderation decisions have on the public, while maintaining their right to independently determine what information is presented.

Zuckerberg cited a specific example involving a meme featuring actor Leonardo DiCaprio, which criticized a class action lawsuit for people who took the COVID vaccine. The Biden administration demanded the meme be removed, but Facebook refused, maintaining that they would not take down "humor and satire" or "things that are true."

This issue was part of a larger legal case, which reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023. The plaintiffs sought to prohibit government officials from communicating with social media companies, but the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to dismiss the case.

Zuckerberg's remarks come as Meta announces significant changes to its content moderation policies. Meta plans to end its fact-checking program and replace it with a community-driven structure. Additionally, Facebook and Instagram will ease restrictions on political content.