CNN’s Duffy: ‘There’s Not a Ton of Evidence’ Tech Censors Right, Even if Zuckerberg Letter ‘Plays Directly into’ That

KINKADE Well call it ░░░░░░░░ case of meddling with ░░░░░░░░ the company which owns ░░░░░░░░ Instagram WhatsApp and Threads ░░░░░░░░ a letter to Congress ░░░░░░░░ CEO Mark Zuckerberg says ░░░░░░░░ the Biden White House ░░░░░░░░ his social media firm ░░░░░░░░ censor content during the ░░░░░░░░ crisis the White House ░░░░░░░░ it did it to ░░░░░░░░ save lives but Zuckerberg ░░░░░░░░ the administration s demands ░░░░░░░░ wrong Zuckerberg also says ░░░░░░░░ should not have suppressed ░░░░░░░░ politically charged story of ░░░░░░░░ Biden s laptop during ░░░░░░░░ 2020 election when Donald ░░░░░░░░ was president Well Clare ░░░░░░░░ joins me now for ░░░░░░░░ on this Of course ░░░░░░░░ it comes to Covid ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t just ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration There were ░░░░░░░░ of doctors trying to ░░░░░░░░ the spread of misinformation ░░░░░░░░ did Zuckerberg say in ░░░░░░░░ letter about what he ░░░░░░░░ do differently next time ░░░░░░░░ Yes Lynda it is ░░░░░░░░ interesting because if you ░░░░░░░░ back to 2020 even ░░░░░░░░ of the big social ░░░░░░░░ platforms themselves were acknowledging ░░░░░░░░ this was a crisis ░░░░░░░░ had potentially deadly consequences ░░░░░░░░ they were being maybe ░░░░░░░░ little bit extra cautious ░░░░░░░░ a result of that ░░░░░░░░ Zuckerberg now saying that ░░░░░░░░ felt pressured by the ░░░░░░░░ House to remove content ░░░░░░░░ humor and satire related ░░░░░░░░ the pandemic But ultimately ░░░░░░░░ is always still the ░░░░░░░░ of these platforms about ░░░░░░░░ to moderate their content ░░░░░░░░ the White House is ░░░░░░░░ by what it did ░░░░░░░░ a statement it said ░░░░░░░░ position has been clear ░░░░░░░░ consistent We believe tech ░░░░░░░░ and other private actors ░░░░░░░░ take into account the ░░░░░░░░ their actions have on ░░░░░░░░ American people while making ░░░░░░░░ choices about the information ░░░░░░░░ present And this of ░░░░░░░░ comes after a Supreme ░░░░░░░░ ruling that found that ░░░░░░░░ White House can continue ░░░░░░░░ communicate with Big Tech ░░░░░░░░ when they find content ░░░░░░░░ they think is harmful ░░░░░░░░ violates those platforms rules ░░░░░░░░ so I think we ░░░░░░░░ read this as Mark ░░░░░░░░ sort of saying that ░░░░░░░░ is going to evaluate ░░░░░░░░ respond to those requests ░░░░░░░░ in the future But ░░░░░░░░ timing and the sort ░░░░░░░░ format of this communication ░░░░░░░░ really interesting I think ░░░░░░░░ Just quickly I m ░░░░░░░░ by the timing of ░░░░░░░░ This is years after ░░░░░░░░ pandemic months before a ░░░░░░░░ election Why now DUFFY ░░░░░░░░ it is a really ░░░░░░░░ question In many ways ░░░░░░░░ plays directly into this ░░░░░░░░ that Republican lawmakers have ░░░░░░░░ spreading that Big Tech ░░░░░░░░ censor the viewpoints of ░░░░░░░░ There s not a ░░░░░░░░ of evidence of that ░░░░░░░░ a lot of what ░░░░░░░░ know Zuckerberg is saying ░░░░░░░░ this letter sort of ░░░░░░░░ play into that narrative ░░░░░░░░ you already see Republican ░░░░░░░░ celebrating this saying that ░░░░░░░░ s proof that the ░░░░░░░░ Harris Administration tried to ░░░░░░░░ conservative voices and pressure ░░░░░░░░ Tech companies I don ░░░░░░░░ think that that s ░░░░░░░░ what this letter is ░░░░░░░░ but it potentially could ░░░░░░░░ really beneficial to them ░░░░░░░░ into this election period ░░░░░░░░ think certainly what Zuckerberg ░░░░░░░░ trying to do here ░░░░░░░░ kind of hedge his ░░░░░░░░ and avoid any perception ░░░░░░░░ bias especially heading into ░░░░░░░░ election If the company ░░░░░░░░ up having to make ░░░░░░░░ tough content moderation decisions ░░░░░░░░ political misinformation he doesn ░░░░░░░░ want any allegations that ░░░░░░░░ done at the behest ░░░░░░░░ the Biden White House ░░░░░░░░ KINKADE Interesting All right ░░░░░░░░ Duffy for us Good ░░░░░░░░ have you on the ░░░░░░░░ Thanks so much.”