Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regrets COVID-19 content censorship amid Biden administration pressure

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed regret for yielding to what he describes as pressure from the Biden administration to "censor" content on Facebook and Instagram during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter sent to a US House committee chair, he mentioned that some content, including humor and satire, was removed in 2021 due to pressure from senior officials.

The White House defended its actions, stating that it promoted "responsible actions to protect public health and safety."

Zuckerberg also noted that his company briefly "demoted" content related to Joe Biden's son, Hunter, before the 2020 election, following an FBI warning about "a potential Russian disinformation" operation.

He acknowledged that it later became evident that this content was not part of such an operation and should not have been temporarily removed.

Zuckerberg did not provide further details about the actions he regretted during the pandemic, when his company removed posts for various reasons.

He stated that while the decisions were made by his business, “the government pressure was wrong.”

He added: "We made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today."

Zuckerberg indicated that he and Meta would be prepared to "push back" if a similar situation occurred in the future.

His letter was addressed to Jim Jordan, the chair of the House judiciary committee, which has been investigating content moderation on online platforms. Republicans described the letter as a "big win for free speech."

In a statement issued to the website Politico, the White House maintained its position.

It said: “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.”