Staff Reports
Mark Zuckerberg recently decided to take a break from the usual bread-and-butter social media hustle to admit something that’s been whistle-blowed from the rafters for years: the Biden administration gave the thumbs up for a serious censorship operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zuckerberg confessed that his team felt the relentless pressure beginning way back in 2021, with directives to quiet any and all “certain COVID-19 content.” This even extended to hilarious memes, a sure sign any comedian worth their salt should be worried in today’s landscape.
In a grilling session with the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg spilled the tea about how the Biden administration used a method reminiscent of a high school principal asking the student newspaper to tone it down. He outlined the frustrating back and forth that left Meta Platforms feeling like the unwilling scapegoat in an overreaching government narrative. It sounds pretty convenient that the government of the day would give the online platforms a talking-to about what could and couldn’t be discussed, especially when it revolved around something as critical as a global health crisis.
In yet another twist of irony, Zuckerberg candidly admitted that while Meta made the final call on what to delete, the government’s pressure still had its claws sunk deep into their decision-making process. In hindsight, he claimed the government’s heavy-handedness was a misstep, a notion that surely gives every free-speech advocate reason to roll their eyes. Apologies are nice, but it’s a little late when all the jokes about COVID-19 have already been scrubbed from the internet by corporate gatekeepers.
F for Facebook until it removes the insipid “fact checkers” and presents all the information. We’ll filter for ourselves, based on the past accuracy of the sources. -> Zuckerberg admits Biden administration 'pressured' Facebook to censor Americans https://t.co/fQxgGVgCSL
— Lori Geishecker (@lorigeishecker) August 27, 2024
Adding to the hypocrisy sandwich, Zuckerberg conceded to other misjudgments, like the beloved Hunter Biden laptop saga, which he sheepishly noted was demoted on Facebook for fear of being labeled a part of a “Russian disinformation operation.” This little tidbit came out just in time for midterm election fever, proving yet again that Meta and its CEO know how to keep the political drama alive, even if it means stepping on the throats of hard-hitting journalism.
Pat the backs of the House Judiciary Committee for calling this revelation a victory for free speech. One can only wonder what kind of fancy footwork will be done the next time big tech companies, government officials, and the social media censorship club meet for tea. Until then, it seems that making memes and sharing opinions is under the watchful eye of a government that seems to favor its narrative over the truth. The big question remains: will this time lead to change, or will another administration just pick up the baton in a marathon of meted-out censorship?
