Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, has publicly praised Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, for acknowledging past mistakes related to content moderation on the platform. Ramaswamy took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his respect for Zuckerberg’s admission of censorship decisions on COVID-19, which were influenced by pressure from the Biden administration.
Zuckerberg’s admission came in a letter to Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, where he stated his intention to avoid political involvement in the future. He also announced that he would not be donating to support election infrastructure in the 2024 election, unlike in 2020, when he and his wife contributed $400 million. These donations had previously faced criticism for allegedly benefiting Democrats.
Ramaswamy’s admiration for Zuckerberg’s transparency was further fueled by a personal encounter they had at a UFC fight. During a conversation, Ramaswamy urged Zuckerberg to acknowledge his mistakes on free speech, specifically highlighting the company’s decision to lock Donald Trump out of his account following the January 6th insurrection. Ramaswamy highlighted the importance of taking ownership of mistakes, stating “The best kind of accountability is where you own it.”
This public acknowledgement of censorship practices comes at a time when Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing increasing scrutiny over its political influence. The company’s rival, X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, has been vocal in criticizing the Biden administration’s alleged suppression of the lab leak theory, which suggests that COVID-19 may have originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Former President Donald Trump has also expressed his dissatisfaction with big tech companies, including Meta Platforms and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, calling for greater competition in the industry. Zuckerberg’s decision to remain politically neutral in the upcoming election could be viewed as a strategic move to distance himself from further political controversy.
