from the you-realize-how-that’s-worse,-right? dept
Bear in mind how Zuckerberg was “done with politics”? Bear in mind how he promised that he was going to stop doing what politicians demanded he do?
Now it seems that he not solely did his big set of moderation changes to please Trump, however did so solely after he was informed by the incoming administration to behave. Even worse, he reportedly made certain to share his plans with prime Trump aides to get their approval first.
That’s a key takeaway from a brand new New York Occasions piece that’s ostensibly a profile of the relentlessly awful Stephen Miller. Nevertheless, it additionally has a couple of revealing particulars about the entire Zuckerberg saga buried inside. First, Miller reportedly demanded that Zuckerberg make modifications at Fb “on Trump’s phrases.”
Mr. Miller informed Mr. Zuckerberg that he had a possibility to assist reform America, however it might be on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s phrases. He made clear that Mr. Trump would crack down on immigration and go to battle in opposition to the variety, fairness and inclusion, or D.E.I., tradition that had been embraced by Meta and far of company America lately.
Mr. Zuckerberg was amenable. He signaled to Mr. Miller and his colleagues, together with different senior Trump advisers, that he would do nothing to impede the Trump agenda, based on three individuals with information of the assembly, who requested for anonymity to debate a non-public dialog. Mr. Zuckerberg stated he would as a substitute focus solely on constructing tech merchandise.
Even if you happen to argue that this was extra about DEI packages at Meta slightly than about content material moderation, it’s nonetheless the incoming administration reportedly making precise calls for of Zuckerberg, and Zuckerberg not simply saying “fantastic” however really previewing the main points to Miller to verify they bought Trump’s blessing.
Earlier this month, Mr. Zuckerberg’s political lieutenants previewed the modifications to Mr. Miller in a non-public briefing. And on Jan. 10, Mr. Zuckerberg made them official….
That is particularly galling on condition that it was simply days in the past when Zuckerberg was whining about how unfair it was that Biden officers have been demanding stuff from him (regardless that he had no hassle saying no to them) and it was massive information! The headlines made an enormous deal of how unfair Biden was to Zuckerberg. Right here’s only a sampling.
Notably absent from this breathless protection was any point out that Trump was the one who actually threatened to imprison Zuckerberg for life. Or that his incoming FCC chair threatened to remove Section 230 if Meta didn’t cease fact-checking.
Additionally conveniently omitted was the truth that the Supreme Court found no evidence of the Biden administration going over the road in its conversations with Meta. Certainly, a Supreme Court docket Justice famous that conversations like people who the Biden admin had with Meta occurred “1000’s of instances a day,” and weren’t problematic as a result of there was no inherent risk or direct coordination.
But, right here, we have now studies of each threats and now proof of direct coordination, together with Zuckerberg asking for and getting direct approval from a prime Trump official earlier than rolling out the coverage.
And the place is that this bombshell revelation? It’s buried in a random profile piece puffing up Stephen Miller.
It’s nearly as if everybody now takes it as a right that any made-up story about Biden might be handled as truth, and everybody simply takes it as anticipated when Trump really does the factor that Biden will get falsely accused of.
With this new story, don’t maintain your breath ready for a similar shops to provide this anyplace close to the identical stage of protection and outrage they directed on the Biden administration.
It’s nearly as if there’s an enormous double commonplace right here: all the pieces is okay if Trump does it, however we are able to blame the Biden admin for issues we solely faux they did.
I’m used to hypocrisy within the political world, however that is past ridiculous. It’s now being made clear that the Trump admin is really doing the precise factor that folks have been (falsely, misleadingly) blaming Biden for.
And it’s only a random apart in a narrative, and nobody appears to be calling it out. Aside from us right here at Techdirt.
Filed Beneath: coercion, donald trump, joe biden, mark zuckerberg, stephen miller, threats
Corporations: meta
Source link
