Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to remove content, sometimes using harsh language. Details inside.
On an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" that was released Friday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered a depiction of Biden administration officials scolding Facebook staff during requests for the removal of particular content from the social media platform.
"Basically, these people from the Biden administration would call up our team and, like, yell at them and curse," Zuckerberg conveyed to podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan. "It simply reached this stage where we were like, 'No, we’re not gonna, we’re not gonna take down things that are accurate. That’s absurd.'"
The White House did not promptly respond to NBC News’ request for comment regarding Zuckerberg’s statements.
It is not the first instance that the co-founder of Facebook has indicated that administration officials pressured the company to remove posts.
In a communication last year to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg stated that the White House “repeatedly pressured” Facebook to remove “certain COVID-19 content including humor and satire.”
Zuckerberg noted that Facebook, which is owned by Meta, sometimes complied, while suggesting that different determinations would be made in the future. He mentioned the company "made some choices that, with the advantage of hindsight and new information, we would not make today."
The White House responded at that time with a statement saying: “When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety. Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe tech companies and other private actors should take into account the effects their actions have on the American people, while making independent choices about the information they present.”
On Rogan's show, Zuckerberg stated that the administration had requested that Facebook remove from its platform a meme that featured actor Leonardo DiCaprio gesturing towards a television screen advertising a class action lawsuit for individuals who had received the Covid vaccine.
"They’re like, 'No, you have to take that down,'" Zuckerberg said, adding, "We said, 'No, we’re not gonna, we’re not to take down humor and satire. We’re not gonna take down things that are, that are factual.'"
That meme was included as evidence in an amicus brief submitted by congressional Republicans in a case that reached the Supreme Court in 2023.
In that case, plaintiffs, which included Louisiana, Missouri, and several Facebook users whose posts were removed or downgraded, sought to prevent government officials from communicating with social media companies.
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the lawsuit in a 6-3 ruling, stating in part that there was considerable evidence of platforms moderating content without government intervention.
“In fact, the platforms, acting independently, had strengthened their pre-existing content moderation policies before the government defendants got involved,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in her opinion.
Zuckerberg’s comments on Rogan's podcast occur days after he announced that Meta would conclude its fact-checking program and replace it with a community-driven structure analogous to the Community Notes system on X. He also announced that his platforms — Facebook and Instagram — would ease regulations related to political content.
Zuckerberg is one of several tech magnates, reportedly including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, whose companies have pledged to contribute $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committee.