Internal company communications viewed by Fox Business show that the White House asked Facebook if they could provide government agencies with unique access to targeting parameters. The request came during a conversation about how to convince people concerned about side effects of the COVID vaccine to take it.
During an April 5th call, a Facebook employee mentioned that in an ideal world, if someone was worried about a specific side effect, they would direct them to information addressing that concern. President Biden's digital director, Rob Flaherty, asked if Facebook could provide resources for this purpose.
WATCH: ASTRAZENECA SUED OVER VACCINE WOES
Another Facebook employee responded, cautioning that showing targeted resources might trigger people and that they had to be careful in their approach. Flaherty then asked what would happen if people continued to have the conversation and suggested directing them to the CDC. The Facebook employee replied, "We all know people that have had the experience that think that FB is listening to them." They also suggested showing the content on a delay to avoid setting off alarm bells among users.
During the same call, Courtney Rowe, Biden's head of strategic communications and public engagement for the COVID-19 response, appeared to mock middle America's ability to determine truth. She said, "If someone in rural Arkansas sees something on FB, it's the truth. What we need is help pushing back on the myths." This remark suggests a dismissive attitude towards the concerns and perspectives of Americans outside of urban areas.
WATCH: JOHN FETTERMAN IS HILARIOUS DEALING WITH DERANGED LEFTISTS
August 02, 2023
The White House had previously brushed off the idea that they were monitoring people's Facebook conversations for vaccine misinformation. When asked about it in July 2021, White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed that the information being shared online was publicly open and compared it to journalists reporting information on news stations. However, the recent revelations contradict this claim and indicate that the White House was indeed seeking special access to target users and obtain more data from Facebook.
WATCH: EVEN CNN CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A LIAR MICHAEL COHEN IS!
The relationship between the White House and Facebook grew more hostile during subsequent phone calls. On an April 14th call, White House officials, including Andy Slavitt, President Biden's White House Senior Advisor for the COVID response, and Rob Flaherty, criticized Facebook for not sharing enough information. Slavitt suggested that Facebook and WhatsApp were being more difficult to deal with than other platforms. Flaherty expressed frustration, saying, "Some partners give us lots of information, some partners tell us to f--- right off. This feels like we're chasing our tails."
SHOCKING DETAILS EMERGE IN MYSTERY SURROUNDS BOATING ACCIDENT THAT CLAIMED TEEN BALLERINA’S LIFE
The White House officials emphasized the importance of addressing misinformation on the internet and the need to explain to the President why it exists. They acknowledged that they didn't want to take down bad news but wanted to make it more likely for people to get vaccinated. However, a Facebook employee responded, stating that they couldn't ask news outlets to take down bad news.
GLOVES OFF! INSULTS FLY AS AOC AND MTG TRADE BARBS IN MUST-SEE CONGRESSIONAL MELTDOWN
Following the testy call, Facebook provided a significant amount of data to the White House. Nick Clegg, Facebook's VP of Global Affairs, emailed his team on April 18, stating that Andy Slavitt was appreciative of the data they had sent. Clegg mentioned that they agreed to have Rob Flaherty share the data and policy recommendations from researchers with them so that they could give a considered reply on further steps.
IS THE WHITE HOUSE HIDING BIDEN'S BLUNDERS? SECRET AUDIO LOCKED DOWN AS REPUBLICANS FUME
It is worth noting that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, declined to provide a comment for this story. This revelation raises concerns about the relationship between the White House and social media platforms, as well as the extent to which the government is involved in monitoring and targeting users. It also highlights the need for transparency and accountability in such interactions, especially when it comes to public health and information dissemination.
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
