According to information provided by a U.S. federal judge, Facebook censored one of Tucker Carlson’s videos in response to a request from the White House of Democratic President Joe Biden.
Facebook “shadow banned” the video in which Carlson discussed Covid vaccines, which meant that it was hidden from other users but not immediately visible to the person who posted it.
The news comes as more details about the Biden administration’s efforts to censor American citizens’ speech by using Big Tech companies as a proxy are revealed.
Judge Terry Doughty issued an injunction regarding the White House’s attempts to censor the speech of its own citizens by persuading Big Tech platforms like Facebook to do so, as The Daily Caller reported. To prevent the Biden admin from contacting any social media companies, Doughty issued an order.
Although it would be against the First Amendment to censor the American people, the Biden administration thought it could get around the law by putting pressure on Big Tech companies to silence critics. The government argues that such coordination did not go against the content guidelines of these platforms.
The judge described efforts by the White House to censor a video that well-known former Fox News host Tucker Carlson made about vaccines in April 2021 in this section of the injunction.
Rob Flaherty, the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Digital Strategy, demanded that Facebook censor Carlson and Tomi Lahren on April 14 of that year for saying things he disagreed with regarding the experimental vaccines.
Flaherty was outraged that “Tucker Carlson saying vaccines don’t work and Tomi Lahren stating she won’t take a vaccine” made the top posts of the day.
Flaherty noted that Facebook had already promised him in that email that such content would be downgraded.
“This is exactly why I want to know what ‘Reduction’ actually looks like – if ‘reduction’ means ‘pumping our most vaccine-hesitant audience with Tucker Carlson saying it does not work’… then…I’m not sure it’s reduction,” wrote an angry Flaherty.
Facebook promptly promised the White House official that they would have a report for him by the end of the week.
The reference to Lahren’s content may be about that Fox News host airing sentiments on April 12, 2021, that “Not one Democrat or Democrat-celebrated health or science official has said the vaccines will end the mask requirements…
“You know what? I personally will not get the vaccine and I personally will not be forced to get it.
“If you want to get it, by all means, please do.
“If you want to wear one, two, or five masks while driving or walking alone, by all means, please do.”
Carlson also aired vaccine-skeptical content on his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on April 13, 2021.
During that show, Carlson said, “Before we take this one [the COVID-19 vaccine], a few questions about it.
“But this specific vaccine, there are two things we’d like to know….
“The first question: is the vaccine safe?
“The second question: is it effective.
“Safe and effective?
“That is all that matters.”
Tucker then proceeded to go over the material that made him question whether the vaccine was either safe or effective.
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