Zuckerberg regrets bowing to Biden 'pressure' over Covid

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed regret over yielding to pressure from the Biden administration to censor content on Facebook and Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to a US House committee, he acknowledged that some posts, including humor and satire, were removed in 2021 due to this pressure. The White House defended its actions, stating they aimed to promote public health and safety. Zuckerberg also mentioned that content related to Hunter Biden was temporarily demoted before the 2020 election after an FBI warning about potential Russian disinformation, which he later deemed unnecessary. He emphasized that while the decisions were ultimately made by Meta, the government pressure was inappropriate. Zuckerberg stated that with hindsight, he would not make the same choices today and indicated a willingness to resist similar pressures in the future. He also noted that he would not contribute further to electoral infrastructure, distancing himself from accusations of bias stemming from his previous $400 million donation to support election processes during the pandemic. He aims to maintain neutrality in political matters.

- Zuckerberg regrets censoring content under Biden administration pressure during the pandemic.

- The White House defended its actions as necessary for public health.

- Content related to Hunter Biden was demoted based on an FBI warning, which Zuckerberg later regretted.

- Zuckerberg plans to avoid future contributions to electoral infrastructure to maintain neutrality.

- His letter was seen as a win for free speech by Republican lawmakers.