Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed in a podcast with Joe Rogan that his company was under pressure from the Biden administration to remove content about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. This startling admission has sparked questions about the impact of such censorship and the lasting damage it caused.
“They Pressured Us to Censor the Truth”
During the three-hour interview, Zuckerberg claimed that the administration pushed Meta to suppress not only misinformation but also truthful information about vaccine side effects. “They pressured us to remove content that was essentially true,” Zuckerberg said, adding that he regrets some decisions Meta made under this pressure.
The Biden administration allegedly sought to silence any dissenting opinions on vaccines, even when those opinions had a basis in fact. According to Zuckerberg, the directive was clear: “Anything suggesting that vaccines could have side effects must be removed.”
A Strategic Pivot for Meta
Meta recently announced a major policy shift: discontinuing reliance on third-party fact-checkers in favor of a community-based notes system. This move aligns Meta more closely with X (formerly Twitter), whose owner Elon Musk has become an ally of Donald Trump. Critics see this as an attempt to reconcile with the new administration under Trump after his 2024 election victory.
The policy shift follows a series of actions suggesting Meta is seeking favor with Trump’s administration, including appointing Joel Kaplan, a former Republican adviser, as its new head of global affairs.
Biden’s Reaction
President Joe Biden condemned Meta’s decision to stop fact-checking, calling it “shameful.” At a press conference, he remarked: “The idea that a billionaire can just decide to stop fact-checking—when millions of people rely on those platforms for information—is, frankly, disgraceful.”
What About the Pages Lost?
While Zuckerberg’s admission may sound like a step toward transparency, it does little to address the thousands of Facebook pages that were removed during the Biden administration’s campaign to enforce strict content moderation. Many of these pages were small businesses, alternative news outlets, or advocacy groups that were permanently shut down for sharing content flagged under Meta’s previous policies.
These pages, wiped out under the guise of “misinformation,” remain dead. Their owners—small publishers, independent creators, and communities—continue to bear the brunt of this policy, with no clear path for recovery. The damage extends far beyond individual pages, affecting the livelihoods and reach of countless people who relied on these platforms for visibility.
Vaccine Debate and Its Fallout
The American FDA has acknowledged certain side effects of vaccines, such as fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, and nausea. Despite these known risks, vaccine campaigns were credited with saving millions of lives globally. However, the aggressive censorship of any mention of side effects fostered distrust in public health efforts and suppressed legitimate discussions.
A Stark Double Standard
Zuckerberg’s comments, while candid, do not absolve Meta of its role in enforcing the Biden administration’s heavy-handed policies. Thousands of creators and communities paid the price, their pages removed without recourse. The question remains: will Zuckerberg or Meta take responsibility for the lasting harm caused by these actions?
As Zuckerberg attempts to reset Meta’s image and align with the incoming Trump administration, the legacy of its prior decisions remains a bitter pill for many. It raises an important question: is acknowledging past mistakes enough, or will tangible reparations ever be made for the damage done?
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