KUALA LUMPUR – The US government pressured Meta to censor Covid-19 content on the grounds of protecting public health and safety, said the White House.
The White House comments come after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg alleged government pressure to remove posts related to the virus on the company’s social media platforms, including Facebook.
In a statement to Politico, the White House said it believes tech companies must take into account the effects that their actions have on US citizens while making independent choices about the information they present.
Previously, in a letter to the American legislative House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg said officials representing US President Joe Biden repeatedly pressured Meta to censor certain Covid-19 content, including satirical ones.
The CEO also expressed regret for decisions following requests from the US government.
Zuckerberg also mentioned that he believes Meta should not compromise content standards due to pressure from any administration.
While Meta appears to be fighting for its right to maintain free speech in the US and pushed back against government interference, the company recently faced off with Putrajaya’s administration after it removed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s post on the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh early this month.
Following the incident, Meta apologised for the content removal, stating it was an operational error.
Since then, the post has been restored. – August 27, 2024