Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WASHINGTON — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to "censor" some COVID-19 content during the pandemic and vowed that the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again.

In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg alleges that the officials, including those from the White House, "repeatedly pressured" Facebook for months to take down "certain COVID-19 content including humour and satire."

The officials "expressed a lot of frustration" when the company didn't agree, he said in the letter.

"I believe the government pressure was wrong and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it," Zuckerberg wrote in the letter dated Aug. 26 and posted on the committee's Facebook page and to its account on X.

The letter is the latest repudiation by Zuckerberg of efforts to target misinformation around the coronavirus pandemic during and after the 2020 presidential election, particularly as allegations have emerged that some posts were deleted or restricted wrongly.

"I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," he said, without elaborating. "We're ready to push back if something like this happens again."

In response, the White House said in a statement that, "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."

Experts warn this year's U.S. election could be swamped by misinformation on social media with the proliferation of artificial intelligence and other tools to produce false news stories and content that could mislead voters.

Facebook in early 2021 appended what Zuckerberg called labels with "credible information" to posts about COVID-19 vaccines. That's after it moved in April 2020 -- just as the virus had led to global shutdowns and radical changes in everyday life -- to warn users who shared misinformation about COVID-19.

Conservatives have long derided Facebook and other major tech companies as favouring liberal priorities and accused them of censorship.

Zuckerberg has tried to change the company's perception on the right, going on podcaster Joe Rogan's show in 2022, and complimenting Republican nominee Donald Trump's response to an assassination attempt as "badass" earlier this year. He sent Monday's letter to the House Judiciary Committee, whose chairman, Jordan, is a long-time Trump ally.

Zuckerberg also said he would no longer donate money to widen election access for voters through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the company that runs the philanthropy for him and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

The couple previously donated $400 million to help local election offices prepare for voters in the 2020 presidential election, with funds used for protective equipment to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at polling sites, drive-thru voting locations and equipment to process mail ballots.

"I know that some people believe this work benefited one party over the other" despite analyses showing otherwise, he said. "My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another - or to even appear to be playing a role. So I don't plan on making a similar contribution this cycle."