ADVERTISING

Senior U.S. government officials “repeatedly pressured” Meta to remove certain COVID-19-related content, including satire, during the pandemic. Mark Zuckerberg has said.

In a letter to the Republican chairman of a committee in the US Congress, Meta’s CEO and chairman wrote that it is ultimately the company’s decision “whether or not to remove content.”

However, he added that US authorities “expressed great frustration” when the tech giant’s teams did not agree.

Zuckerberg added that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was “ready to fight back if something like this happens again.”

It is Zuckerberg’s latest departure from Efforts to combat disinformation about the pandemic during and after the 2020 presidential election, particularly when allegations arose that some posts had been wrongfully deleted or restricted.

“I also think that we made some decisions that, in hindsight and based on new information, we would not make today,” he said, without elaborating.

“Acting responsibly to protect public health”

The White House then said in a statement: “In the face of a deadly pandemic, this administration encouraged responsible action to protect public health and safety.”

“Our position has been clear and consistent: We believe that technology companies and other private actors should consider the impact of their actions on the American people while making independent decisions about the information they present,” the statement continued.

Experts warn against the spread of misinformation in view of the upcoming presidential elections in November in the USA, especially artificial intelligence (AI) technological advances.

Pile of sugar He also said he would stop donating money to expand voting access to voters through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the company that runs philanthropic projects for him and his wife, Priscilla Chan.