In a recent episode of the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), admitted that the company mishandled censorship requests during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In retrospect, he said, many censored posts contained either accurate or debatable information.
“Unfortunately, I think a lot of the establishment waffled on a bunch of facts and asked for a bunch of things to be censored that, in retrospect, ended up being more debatable or true,” Zuckerberg stated.
Zuckerberg’s acknowledgment comes as a startling about-face from his previous stance against misinformation, especially about COVID-19. At the height of the pandemic in 2021, Zuckerberg proudly told CBS anchor Gayle King that Facebook had removed 18 million posts containing “misinformation” about the virus.
Mark Zuckerberg admits the establishment censored coronavirus skepticism that ended up being true or debatable: 'It really undermines trust' https://t.co/xzt9955HNJ
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) June 10, 2023
When explaining the intricacies of content moderation on his platforms, Zuckerberg pointed out that distinguishing harmful falsehoods from simple errors or controversial views was far from easy. The debate, he noted, was whether to censor someone for simply being incorrect, absent any clear harm.
As a prime example, he pointed to censoring posts on COVID-19 before science had time to catch up. As Zuckerberg referred to it, the’ establishment wavered on facts and asked for the censorship of posts that were later deemed debatable or even true.
In recognizing these missteps, Zuckerberg acknowledged the damage such decisions inflict on public trust. The CEO expressed concerns that the credibility of scientific communities may have been tarnished due to their earlier demands for censorship.
Zuckerberg’s past decisions about content moderation, including the controversial censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the 2020 presidential election, have drawn widespread criticism. He defended that decision by referencing a cautionary notice from the FBI regarding potential Russian disinformation aimed at the Biden presidential campaign.
Nevertheless, Zuckerberg’s recent admission about mismanaged censorship casts a fresh light on the challenges of information control in our digital age. The role of social media giants like Meta in shaping public opinion through content moderation has never been more clear or more in question.
Moreover, the revelation that Zuckerberg acquiesced to ‘establishment’ demands for censorship underscores the often-unseen influence such entities can wield over the flow of information. Such unchecked power is at odds with the open discourse principle crucial to a healthy democracy.
Therefore, Zuckerberg’s admission serves as a stark reminder of the double-edged sword of social media – a powerful tool for connecting the world but also a potential gatekeeper of information that can, intentionally or not, undermine the public’s trust. As the debate over censorship versus free speech continues, Zuckerberg’s comments highlight the urgent need for transparency and accountability in the digital realm.
