Elon Musk has spoken out against Facebook after new revelations surfaced about the company censoring COVID-19 content during the pandemic. The pressure to remove posts, it turns out, came directly from the Biden administration, which prompted Musk to label this situation a violation of the First Amendment.

The issue was brought to light when Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, wrote a letter to the House Judiciary Committee. In his letter, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook had censored certain COVID-19 content following repeated requests from the White House. This included posts that the government deemed “misinformation,” even if they were jokes or satire. The letter also revealed that Facebook had deliberately suppressed news stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Zuckerberg now regrets giving in to the pressure, stating that the company made decisions during the pandemic that, with more information and hindsight, they wouldn’t make today. He emphasized that Meta would push back harder against similar demands in the future, saying that no administration should influence content moderation.

The White House defended its actions, explaining that during a global health crisis, they encouraged tech companies to act responsibly to protect public health. However, they maintained that the final decisions rested with the companies themselves.

Musk, known for his stance on free speech, responded by saying that what Facebook did under government pressure “sounds like a First Amendment violation.” He also took the opportunity to reinforce his position on his own platform, X, where he encourages open dialogue and allows for diverse viewpoints, even from those he disagrees with.

Zuckerberg concluded his statement by acknowledging the company could have been more vocal about resisting government pressure at the time and pledged to stand firmer in the future.