Accusations against Biden

Zuckerberg criticizes censorship pressure during Corona

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg

(Bild: AFP/Brendan SMIALOWSKI)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg accuses the US government of President Joe Biden of putting pressure on his company during the coronavirus pandemic. Ultimately, it was the company's decision to remove content or not, and it stands by these decisions. 

In 2021, high-ranking officials had repeatedly pressured his teams for months to "censor certain content about the pandemic, including humor and satire," according to a letter from Zuckerberg to the Republican-led committee published by the House Judiciary Committee.

The pressure from the government was wrong, however, and he regrets that the company did not comment more clearly on this. He also believes that decisions were made that would not have been made in hindsight. However, it was his company's decision to remove the content. 

White House emphasizes sense of responsibility
"I firmly believe that we should not abandon our content standards because of pressure from a government in one direction or another - and we are prepared to fight back if something like this happens again," Zuckerberg continued.

The White House said the government had "encouraged responsible action to protect public health in the face of a deadly pandemic".

Biden administration holds Meta and Co. accountable
The statement continued: "Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe that tech companies and other private actors should consider the impact of their actions on the American people as they make independent decisions about the information they present."