President Biden strongly criticized Meta on Friday for discontinuing its third-party fact-checking program, deeming the move as contradictory to American values and declaring it as “shameful.”
“The decision to walk away from fact-checking and not addressing any issues related to discrimination concerning TPS is, in my opinion, contrary to principles of American justice,” Biden stated in response to a question from a reporter about Meta’s recent policy change.
It remains unclear what the President meant by Meta not reporting discrimination concerning TPS, an abbreviation for the Temporary Protected Status program extended to foreign nationals from select countries. Biden made these remarks during a rare question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House on Friday.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the matter.
Emphasizing the importance of truthfulness, Biden continued, “Telling the truth matters. I don’t know what that’s all about. It’s just completely contrary to everything America stands for.”
Earlier this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company’s decision to replace third-party fact-checkers with a community-driven model akin to rival platform X’s Community Notes. Zuckerberg justified the shift by stating it aims to “restore free expression” and reduce errors that the company has made in fact-checking posts.
“We want to convey the truth. As a nation, we haven’t always succeeded in doing so, but we strive to communicate the truth,” Biden remarked during the rare Q&A session, reiterating his disagreement with Meta’s alteration to its fact-checking program, which he views as contradictory to fundamental American values.
Expressing his discontent, the President condemned the ability of a billionaire to dictate that fact-checking would no longer be conducted, saying, “When you have millions of people reading this content online, I believe it’s truly shameful.”
It is worth noting that Mark Zuckerberg, aged 40, did not acquire Meta through purchase; he founded the company originally known as Facebook in 2004.
Meta did not provide an immediate response to The Post’s request for comment on the matter.
In an interview released shortly before the President’s remarks, Zuckerberg criticized the Biden administration during an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast for pressuring Meta to censor content related to COVID-19 vaccines. The Meta CEO alleged that Biden officials contacted company executives to express their dissatisfaction and demand removal of negative posts about the coronavirus vaccine on Facebook.
Describing the experience as “brutal,” Zuckerberg argued that the US government should be defending companies rather than leading attacks against them.
