In an effort to combat online misinformation
In an effort to combat online misinformation, the U.S. government has reportedly pressured major social media platforms to implement more stringent content moderation measures. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Biden administration has been secretly urging tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google to adopt tools that could allow the government to monitor and regulate content more closely. The secret directives—issued under the guise of national security and public safety—aim to counteract the spread of harmful disinformation, particularly related to public health and elections. The pressure, which was reportedly ramped up in recent months, is said to focus on increasing the government’s access to private social media data, potentially undermining user privacy protections. While government officials declined to comment to TechCrunch about the reports, they have long argued that unchecked social media activity fuels extremist ideologies and undermines democracy...