The White House reportedly pressured Facebook to censor Fox News host Tucker Carlson over his criticism of COVID-19 vaccines.
The evidence for the claim was released in a Facebook employee email in April 2021 from White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty.
This story comes from the very document we put out last night MO/LA vs Bidenhttps://t.co/HuBm38v68i
— PACT – Parents Against Critical Theory (@PACTstopcrt) January 10, 2023
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry “secured the emails through Louisiana and Missouri’s lawsuit against the administration, which alleges it conspired with tech companies to suppress the First Amendment rights of American citizens,” according to Breitbart News.
The emails show Flaherty stating, “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 doesn’t work, then… I’m not sure it’s reduction!”
Landry posted redacted copies of the emails on social media to provide evidence for the claims.
“NEW DEVELOPMENT in our Censorship Lawsuit. Government censorship is bi-partisan. If they don’t like you, they will censor you. Nobody is safe when the first amendment is violated!” Landry tweeted.
The incident is one of a growing number of documented examples of censorship pressure against social media companies over COVID-19.
Recent reports from the Twitter Files have also offered examples of the federal government pressuring Twitter to block COVID-19 content, even when citing Useless CDC information, when it came from sources questioning vaccines.
The latest examples show the federal government’s pressure also targeted Facebook, whose parent company Meta also owns Instagram and WhatsApp.
The emerging information reveals that the problem with COVID-19 misinformation involved government overreach that interfered with American free speech rights.
