San Francisco, August 28: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that he surrendered to the request of US President Joe Biden to "censor" content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram during Covid-19 pandemic. Mark Zuckerberg reportedly regretted this decision to bow down to pressure from Biden administration at a time when the world was dealing with coronavirus.

A report from BBC mentioned that a letter was sent to the US House committee chair in which Mark Zuckerberg said some material including satire and humour was taken down by these platforms in 2021 because of pressure from senior government officials. Zuckerberg accepted that his Meta platforms "demoted" content which were related to Hunter, son of President Joe Biden before 2020 elections. Polaris Dawn Mission Delayed Again: After Helium Leak, Unfavourable Weather Forces Elon Musk-Run SpaceX To Postpone Mission Aimed To Conduct First-Ever ‘All Civilian’ Spacewalk.

During this time, the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) warned about "a potential Russian disinformation" operation. However, Meta CEO said he came to know that the content was not a part of any such operations. Mark Zuckerberg said that the content were not supposed to be temporarily banned by firm's platforms.

BBC mentioned that Meta CEO said making choices that he would not make today. If something similar to happen in the future, Zuckerberg said that his firm and its platforms would be ready to push back. The Republicans said that the letter Mark Zuckerberg's letter addressing Jim Jordan, the chair of the House judiciary committee was a big "win for free speech". The House judiciary had been investigating the content moderation on online platforms.

The White House stood by its action taken during the coronavirus pandemic by saying that tech companies should take into account the effect of their actions on American people while making their independent choices on the information they put on their platforms. Kremlin Says No Meeting Between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in Azerbaijan Visit.

Mark Zuckerberg addressed the controversy over Hunter Biden’s alleged abandoned laptop, which suggested foreign business dealings influenced U.S. policy. Following FBI warnings about possible Russian disinformation, Meta temporarily demoted the story, a move Zuckerberg later regretted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 28, 2024 12:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).