• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

1

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
PoliticsU.S. Presidential Election

Zuckerberg blasts Biden administration for pressuring Meta to censor COVID content

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 27, 2024, 6:45 AM ET
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, is distancing himself from politics ahead of the November elections.Alex Wong—Getty Images

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has washed his hands of this year’s U.S. presidential elections—and has vowed not to accommodate any demands from current or future administrations.

Recommended Video

A letter written by the Facebook founder to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan alleges White House representatives “repeatedly pressured” Meta into censoring COVID content and “expressed a lot of frustration” when the Meta team would not comply.

The letter, dated Aug. 26, was shared on the official X page of the House Judiciary GOP; Jordan is the House Judiciary Committee chairman.

In the letter Zuckerberg, who has amassed a fortune worth $185 billion per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, says he regrets bowing to the alleged pressure from the Biden administration during the pandemic.

The entrepreneur wrote: “Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure.

“I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.

“I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn’t make today.”

The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment but has issued a statement on how it approached online content relating to the coronavirus.

“When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety,” a spokesman told Politico. “Our position has been clear and consistent: We believe tech companies and other private actors should take into account the effects their actions have on the American people, while making independent choices about the information they present.”

Amid fears of a “tsunami of misinformation” ahead of the November elections, Zuckerberg is digging his heels in against any political pressure to come.

He added: “I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any administration in either direction—and we’re ready to push back if something like this happens again.”

Overall Zuckerberg’s letter seeks to disentangle both Meta—which is currently being investigated by the European Commission over claims it is failing to adequately tackle disinformation—and himself from politics.

At the end of the letter Zuckerberg adds: “I want to address the contributions I made during the last presidential cycle to support electoral infrastructure. The idea here was to make sure local election jurisdictions across the country had the resources they needed to help people vote safely during a global pandemic.”

The contributions were made through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative—a philanthropic body cofounded and led by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan—totaling more than $400 million.

At the time, critics—including then-President Donald Trump—baselessly claimed the funds were being used to get then–Democratic nominee Joe Biden elected.

Indeed a study from UCLA published in May discovered the funds donated by the billionaire—nicknamed “Zuckerbucks” by critics—“did not substantially improve the performance of Democratic candidates.”

The contributions, designed to be nonpartisan, were spread across a range of urban and rural communities, Zuckerberg said.

He continued: “Still, despite the analyses I’ve seen showing otherwise, I know that some people believe this work benefited one party over the other. My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another—or to even appear to be playing a role. So I don’t plan on making a similar contribution this cycle.”

Mark Zuckerberg just admitted three things:

1. Biden-Harris Admin "pressured" Facebook to censor Americans.

2. Facebook censored Americans.

3. Facebook throttled the Hunter Biden laptop story.

Big win for free speech. pic.twitter.com/ALlbZd9l6K

— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 26, 2024

Fact-check delays

In the letter, Zuckerberg also confirms Meta has axed a policy of demoting stories until fact-checkers can confirm they are accurate.

The decision was taken after Meta was approached by the FBI, Zuckerberg writes, “about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burisma in the lead-up to the 2020 election.”

Zuckerberg explains: “That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then–Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply.”

In retrospect, Zuckerberg adds, “we shouldn’t have demoted the story,” and as such “we’ve changed our policies and processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The letter and information in Zuckerberg’s letter has been lauded by the GOP. Despite the evidence that Zuckerberg’s donations made no difference in the outcome of the election, the House Judiciary GOP wrote on Elon Musk–owned X: “No more Zuck-bucks. Huge win for election integrity.”

Meta did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

Illinois joins Ohio in ordering pause on data center tax credits
PoliticsData centers
Illinois joins Ohio in ordering pause on data center tax credits
By Yash Roy and BloombergJune 6, 2026
6 hours ago
Here’s where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can’t fix
EconomyDebt
Here’s where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can’t fix
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
6 hours ago
During D-Day speech in France, Hegseth invokes immigration and says ‘When will European capitals do something about that invasion?’
EuropeImmigration
During D-Day speech in France, Hegseth invokes immigration and says ‘When will European capitals do something about that invasion?’
By The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
9 hours ago
bernie
AIWhite House
Bernie Sanders and Sam Altman’s private one-hour meeting about the public ownership of AI
By Joey Cappelletti, Seung Min Kim and The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
14 hours ago
Trump says ‘situation with Iran seems to be going quite well’ while U.S. shoots down more missiles and drones near Strait of Hormuz
PoliticsIran
Trump says ‘situation with Iran seems to be going quite well’ while U.S. shoots down more missiles and drones near Strait of Hormuz
By Michelle L. Price, Samy Magdy and The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
15 hours ago
trump
PoliticsWhite House
MAGA hates AI, but Trump agrees with Bernie it might be time for partial government ownership
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
Real Estate
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
By Sydney LakeJune 6, 2026
18 hours ago
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
2 days ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
2 days ago
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
Economy
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
6 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
2 days ago
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
7 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.