Recently leaked internal communications from Facebook have revealed the extent to which the Biden administration has taken measures to curb “vaccine hesitancy” online. The documents suggest that White House officials pressured Facebook to silence individuals expressing doubts about COVID-19 vaccines to prevent them from discouraging others from getting vaccinated.
The conversations between Biden officials and Facebook staff discussed accessing targeting parameters and providing resources to individuals expressing concerns about vaccine side effects. The goal was to address these concerns and promote vaccination through targeted pro-vaccine content.
During these conversations, concerns were raised about privacy and how to approach users without triggering negative reactions. The discussions touched on the perception of Facebook’s monitoring practices, and the need to show information without appearing intrusive or overly controlling.
The interactions between the Biden administration and Facebook became more confrontational over time, with accusations of withholding information and difficulties in obtaining data from the social media platform. White House officials expressed frustration with the level of cooperation from Facebook in combating vaccine misinformation.
Facebook eventually provided a substantial amount of data to the White House, demonstrating the platform’s efforts to cooperate with the administration’s requests.
It is essential to note that these documents provide insight into discussions between Facebook and the Biden administration and their efforts to address vaccine hesitancy. The leaked communications raised questions about privacy, misinformation, and cooperation between social media platforms and government authorities.