- PM Modi talks with US President Biden over the phone; discussed issues including Ukraine.
- Congress targets CM Shinde after the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj falls; Shinde clarifies.
- Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announces reduction in the number of foreign workers.
- Russia launches massive airstrikes on Ukraine, claiming five lives.
- Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah; likely to join BJP.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Accusations Against Biden Administration
Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Meta, has accused the Biden administration of pressuring them to remove content related to COVID-19. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, faced pressure from the administration to censor content.
Zuckerberg’s Letter to the US House Judiciary Committee
In a letter to the US House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg revealed that senior White House officials repeatedly pressured Meta for months in 2021 to censor content related to COVID-19. This included posts with satire and humor. When Meta did not fully comply, the administration expressed frustration towards their teams.
Zuckerberg stated that the decision to remove or keep content was entirely up to Meta, and they are responsible for their decisions. He expressed regret that Meta was not more outspoken against the pressure and emphasized that they should not have compromised their content standards due to government pressure. He assured that if such a situation arises again, Meta will be prepared to stand firm.
Republican Party’s Reaction
The Republican Party’s House Judiciary Committee shared Zuckerberg’s letter on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). They highlighted three points:
1. The Biden and Harris administration pressured Facebook to censor Americans.
2. Facebook did censor Americans.
3. Facebook suppressed the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
The Republicans termed this a significant victory for free speech.