Can Trump Undo The Damage Biden Has Done?

Biden Trashes Zuckerberg

In a recent statement, outgoing President Joe Biden criticized Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to end the company’s fact-checking programs across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Biden described the move as “really shameful,” emphasizing that “telling the truth matters” in a democratic society. The President’s comments came during an unexpected press session in the Roosevelt Room, where he expressed concern over Zuckerberg’s plan to scale back content moderation and fact-checking efforts.

Biden argued that abandoning fact-checking, especially in the lead-up to a critical presidential election, was a step in the wrong direction. “The whole idea of walking away from fact-checking… is contrary to American justice,” he said. “We want to tell the truth,” Biden added, suggesting that the decision to remove fact-checking would result in misinformation spreading unchecked across Meta’s platforms, which reach billions of users worldwide. He also pointed out the dangers of giving a billionaire the power to decide what information is truthful and what isn’t, claiming it undermines democratic values.

Zuckerberg’s announcement on Tuesday made it clear that Meta would no longer rely on external fact-checkers and instead would implement community-driven content moderation, similar to the model used by X (formerly Twitter). He explained that this change was driven by a desire to prioritize free speech, especially with the 2024 presidential election on the horizon. Zuckerberg framed the move as a return to Meta’s roots, aiming to simplify content policies and reduce “mistakes” in moderation.

While Biden’s administration has previously raised concerns about misinformation on social media, the situation has become more contentious, with Zuckerberg suggesting that Meta employees were pressured by government officials to remove content related to COVID-19. As Meta reorients its approach to content moderation and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, it signals a shift in response to the current political and legal climate. For many conservatives, Zuckerberg’s decision to roll back fact-checking and prioritize free speech is a step in the right direction, challenging what they see as the government’s overreach in policing speech on social media.