In response to mounting public and governmental pressure, Facebook decided in May 2020 to automate the moderation of COVID-related misinformation by using claim-matching techniques to identify and restrict content related to five specific COVID-19 origin claims, previously debunked by multiple third-party fact-checkers (3PFCs).
By February 2021, Facebook escalated these measures to include the removal of these claims and eight additional vaccine misinformation claims, identified in collaboration with the WHO, CDC, and other health authorities, pending a later review to possibly adjust the policy.
Also in response to public pressure and discussions with a new government, a platform removed fifteen debunked COVID-19 vaccine claims in February 2021. Fact-checkers and public health organizations identified the claims as being either specifically related to COVID-19 vaccines or previously classified as general vaccine misinformation.
The platform requested a review later that year to assess a potential shift back to a less restrictive approach to reduction and information provision.
In 2021, under pressure from the Biden White House, major tech companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon altered their content moderation policies, aiming to suppress information that, at the time, did not contravene existing platform policies.
To understand the motivations behind these policy revisions, it is crucial to examine the email exchanges and documents from that period, as both Facebook and Amazon explicitly acknowledged the influence of the Biden White House, describing their interactions as a result of “pressure.”
The changes demonstrate the significant impact of governmental intervention on private sector content regulation practices.
In March, July, and August 2021, internal communications from Amazon and Facebook revealed changes in content moderation policies influenced by criticism from the Biden Administration.
Amazon adjusted its bookstore policies due to feedback concerning sensitive book placements and policy criticisms from the administration.
Simultaneously, Facebook developed more aggressive misinformation policies and content moderation strategies after receiving pressure to censor content, including theories about the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s origins.
In September 2021, YouTube proposed stricter censorship policies on vaccine-related content to the White House, seeking feedback before finalization, to which the White House responded positively.
According to internal Facebook emails from July 2021, the Biden Administration put pressure on social media platforms to censor a variety of content, including factual information, satire, and personal experiences that criticized or made fun of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Surgeon General specifically requested the removal of truthful side effect information, and by February 2021, in response to the White House’s demands for greater action, Facebook had increased its censorship practices on subjects like the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
However, by May 2021, Facebook had reversed its stance on censoring discussions about the lab leak theory, reflecting internal acknowledgments, including from Zuckerberg, about the pitfalls of compromising platform standards under political pressure.
In 2021, tech giants Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon experienced significant pressure from the Biden White House to censor content across various platforms. Facebook, addressing White House concerns, increased censorship of anti-vaccine content and the lab leak theory but later adjusted its policies after prioritizing anti-vaccine misinformation.
YouTube’s Public Policy team highlighted the benefits of aligning with the Biden administration on multiple fronts, suggesting product briefings to the White House.
Despite internal recognition of this pressure as potentially problematic, Amazon also faced similar pressures, which ultimately resulted in all three companies adopting new content moderation policies by September 2021 that limited content that the administration did not like.
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