Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk endorsed calls for Meta Platforms Inc. META to release its content moderation communications with government officials, responding “That would be good” to prominent tech investor Dave Lee‘s demand for transparency.
What Happened: “If Zuck is serious then let’s see the equivalent of the Twitter Files for Facebook. Show all the communication back and forth (not just handpicked ones) between the government and Facebook regarding COVID/vaccine censorship,” Lee wrote on X, drawing Musk’s support.
The Twitter Files were a series of internal Twitter documents that were released in 2022–2023 by journalists and authors.
The exchange comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to adopt a feature similar to X’s Community Notes, signaling a major shift in content moderation strategy. During a video announcement, Zuckerberg acknowledged past censorship mistakes and outlined plans to “get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram.”
Meta’s internal data reveals the scope of current moderation practices, with Joel Kaplan, the company’s new head of global affairs, disclosing that 10-20% of December’s content removals may have been erroneous. The platform’s pivot includes phasing out third-party fact-checkers and relocating trust and safety teams from California to Texas.
Why It Matters: The changes follow Zuckerberg’s recent $1 million donation to President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration fund and their November meeting at Mar-a-Lago. During a Joe Rogan podcast appearance, Zuckerberg detailed past tensions with President Joe Biden‘s administration officials, describing instances where they “would call up our team and, like, scream at them and curse” over content removal requests.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino praised Meta’s decision, calling it a “smart move by Zuck” and suggesting other platforms would follow.
The platform’s transformation includes adding three new board members, including Trump ally Dana White, indicating strategic alignment with the incoming administration and a marked departure from its previous content moderation approach during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 election cycle.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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