A group of Democrats in the US House of Representatives are pressing Mark Zuckerberg on recent policy changes at Meta, saying they are “deeply concerned” that the company has weakened its content moderation rules, ended its corporate diversity programs, and abandoned third-party fact-checking. In a letter addressed to Meta’s CEO, four members of the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee demanded detailed information about the radical changes Zuckerberg announced last month.
“These policy changes, whose timing creates the inescapable appearance of appeasing the Trump administration, are abhorrent, inconsistent, and dangerous,” the lawmakers wrote.
Meta has not yet provided many specifics on how it will implement its new policy, which was announced shortly before President Donald Trump took office. The letter asks Zuckerberg to describe how “Trump’s threats of retaliation against you” may have influenced the decision to stop fact-checking on the platform. It also asks whether the Facebook founder “has discussed the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against Meta with anyone in the Trump administration.”
The letter also notes that Zuckerberg’s recent statements seem to directly contradict his previous statements made during the creation of the Supervisory Board. “The Board, once touted as a beacon of accountability, is rendered toothless when the target itself refuses to adhere to the principles of ‘trust and safety,'” the letter says.
The lawmakers also questioned Zuckerberg’s public statements that corporations need more “masculine energy,” calling them “particularly surprising in light of the fact that Meta’s longtime general counsel and current CFO are women, and three of your most important board committees are chaired by women.”
Zuckerberg was given until February 21, 2025 to respond. “We have nothing more to say than what we’ve been saying for the past few weeks,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget when asked about the letter.
