The Facebook Files: The Push To Control Public Narrative


In this photo illustration, a smart phone screen displays the logo of Facebook on a Facebook website background, on April 7, 2021, in Arlington, Virginia - Facebook usage has held steady in the United States despite a string of controversies about the leading social network, even as younger users tap into rival platforms such as TikTok, a survey showed Wednesday. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
In this photo illustration, a smart phone screen displays the logo of Facebook on a Facebook website background, on April 7, 2021, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Roy Francis
7:35 AM – Friday, August 4, 2023

In the latest edition of the “Facebook Files,” Representative Jim Jordan showed the efforts that the Biden White House went to in order to “control true speech on Facebook.”

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on Thursday, Jordan (R-Ohio) posted examples of how Rob Flaherty, who was serving as the Director of Digital Strategy under President Joe Biden at the time, repeatedly pressured the social media platform to explain its decisions.

He questioned Facebook over their decision to allow the New York Post to keep “churning out articles every day,” calling their content “misinfo.”

After initially requesting reductions and labels on posts that he did not agree with, Flaherty went further and wanted Facebook to kick people off the platform. The Biden White House demanded that Facebook “play ball” with them and their censorship efforts.

The Biden White House also questioned the algorithms that Facebook had been using. Flaherty wanted new algorithms which would have people see more posts from the New York Times and less posts from individuals such as Tomi Lahren and outlets like The Daily Wire.

During the pressure and censorship campaign, Biden administration officials, such as Courtney Rowe, the head of strategic communications and public engagement for the COVID-19 response, mocked American’s ability to determine what is true and what isn’t.

Facebook continued to comply with the White House requests. A Facebook employee explained that if the company could not “remove” the content that the White House wanted removed, then they could “contain it.”

However, Flaherty wanted to implement content moderation to control what the White House considered “bad” content. Facebook complied with his requests and told the White House that they were reducing content and posts, even if the posts did not violate any terms and “contained TRUE information.”

Jordan concluded the recent release by saying that the new files “continue to show the Biden White House’s desire to direct and control content on Facebook.”

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