Zuckerberg Alleges FBI Pressure to Censor 2020 Election Coverage

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has accused the FBI of pressuring the company to censor credible reporting on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2020.

In an Aug. 26 letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg alleged that the FBI forced Meta to “silence” truthful information to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

The letter refers to Meta’s handling of a New York Post story alleging corruption in the Biden family, based on evidence from Hunter Biden’s laptop.

The story suggested that Joe Biden, as vice president, had aided and benefited from his son’s business dealings with foreign companies, including those associated with authoritarian regimes.

This story had the potential to have a significant impact on the 2020 election, but it was censored, with claims by the intelligence community and the media framing it as Russian disinformation.

Zuckerberg expressed regret for silencing the story while he awaited fact-checking, acknowledging the company’s mistake in not being more vocal about government pressure. The letter raised concerns about the government’s influence on free speech through social media.

Additionally, Zuckerberg revealed that in 2021, the Biden administration pressured Meta to censor content related to the Kovid pandemic, which he also criticized. The White House defended its actions as necessary for public health. This controversy underscores ongoing concerns about free speech, government influence over social media, and implications for future elections.

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