On 26th August, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted to assisting the Biden-Harris administration in weaponising political censorship to curtail free speech on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He revealed that the United States government, prodded by the White House, interfered in Meta’s content moderation process and coerced its management to censor ‘certain’ Covid-19-related information.
This admission from the tech tycoon comes as the United States aspires to play the role of a global policeman on freedom of speech and expression. US government agencies and US government-funded NGOs always manage to wag a finger at any nation that dares take an exception to their lofty standards. For example, India is regularly targeted and accused of suppressing free speech.
But then, strangely enough, the US strikes hard at India based on these highly debatable, one-sided, and confounding reports, which are more disinformation than information, and lastly, more the US itself preaches and spends, rather than results in revealing its alarming acts of state suppression and censorship that have just come out. It is a classic case of “Do as I say,” with a mark of supreme irony.
Zuckerberg’s Confession: The United States Government’s social media puppetry
This revelation should set off alarm bells worldwide. It shows that the US government can push US-based social media platforms to promote any information they like and suppress what they don’t want the world to see. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s admission that he bent under the pressure of the Biden-Harris administration to censor Americans underscores this. The same government that insists on the sanctity of freedom of expression (FoE) globally felt comfortable twisting the arms of social media giants at home.
Zuckerberg admitted that Meta was subjected to significant pressure from the administration to regulate content that did not align with their preferred narrative. This is a textbook case of governmental overreach, where the supposed protector of free speech has behaved like its biggest threat.
One has to wonder: if the United States government is this brazen about its interference with social media platforms, what else is happening behind closed doors? Perhaps freedom of expression in America is free only as long as it aligns with the interests of those in power.
Twitter Files: The relentless censoring that was exposed after Elon Musk took over Twitter (now X)
The case of Zuckerberg isn’t the only one that defies a superpower, terming it as the guardian of FoE. Twitter was another social media platform that was said to be a chaotic place filled with several complaints against its previous administration. When Musk bought Twitter, all the data on the platform was made accessible to journalists thus making it possible to uncover the ‘shadowy’ manipulation of the US government.
Known as the Twitter Files, it exposed the deep entanglement between Twitter and various government agencies. Twitter was found to be under the thumb of state actors who sought to suppress certain stories and voices. One of the most notable examples was the Hunter Biden laptop story, which was wiped from Twitter and other social media platforms, apparently to save President Joe Biden’s government. Although the Twitter team provided excuses for this action, they were ultimately dismissed, as the story was significant enough to topple Biden’s government. The story resurfaced only after losing its initial impact, effectively saving Biden. There were several other instances where Twitter not only assisted the US government but also other state actors in setting a narrative that suited their ideology and agenda.
In India’s case, several pro-government accounts were suspended over the years merely to voice support for the government or oppose anti-India sentiments. When Musk took over Twitter, he launched a campaign to unsuspend such accounts, granting access to hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. This selective censorship wasn’t just an accident—it was a well-coordinated effort to control the narrative.
Interestingly, the US loves to criticise other nations for restricting access to information. But more often than not, the US government cannot resist the urge to simply control the narrative with its citizens. What the Twitter Files prescribe is a country where freedom of speech is a privilege, not a right of those who toe the line. Orwellian? It is. At least they are transparent about the hypocrisy, no?
Trump’s gag order by United States court: Muzzling a former President
If that is not enough, who can forget how a sitting President in the US was gagged by social media? On his last days in office, Trump got gagged by social media as he went “rogue” and deviated from the liberal nexus of leaders, media, and social media.
More recently, a United States court placed a gag order on former President Donald Trump, which is inarguably burdening free speech about issues of public interest. Many would say that this is plainly an attempt at political gagging of a high-profile figure, with his case raising very serious questions over democracy and the state of free speech in the country today.
The court has barred him from speaking about the Manhattan Criminal Case, the Federal Election Case, the Georgia Election Case, and the Federal Documents Case. It’s laughable yet tragic that the self-proclaimed defender of democracy has actively silenced a former head of state. The gag order against Trump is not just a matter of legal manoeuvring; it is a blatant suppression of dissenting voices. If a former President can be gagged in such a way, how powerless must a general citizen of the US feel? Think about it…
India in the Crosshairs: The hypocrisy of selective outrage
The United States has glaring issues at home that demand its attention. However, its focus is often on other countries and how they manage FoE. India is frequently one of its prime targets. However, in most cases, US agencies rely on questionable reports and misinformation to back their claims.
India is a vibrant democracy with a multilayered and diverse media setup. Hyped as the mother of democracy, India is far more in control of managing her own affairs. At the same time, the US often seems to feel it is its “responsibility” to poke its nose into India’s affairs while ignoring its failures.
The way US behaves, it constitutes a tale of reproach. While it points its eager fingers at others’ sins, it somehow smartly ignores the increasing censorship and suppression within its borders. The moral high ground it professes to occupy is built on shaky foundations, and the facade is crumbling under the weight of its hypocrisy.
It is high time for this so-called superpower to learn that, rather than shouting about free speech to other countries, it should find a reflection in the mirror for a very long time. Because, as it is said, “those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
