Tipsheet

New Twitter Files Reveal How Government Censored Debate on COVID-19

The latest installment of the Twitter Files reveals how the federal government worked to censor and quash debate about the COVID-19 pandemic, including information about the disease's origins and the efficacy of vaccines.  

On Monday, the details were revealed. 

The list goes on, with more coming next week.

But Twitter wasn't the only social media platform to censor information related to the pandemic. More specifically, questions about Dr. Anthony Fauci's role in the frankensteining of viruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which the NIH heavily funded under his watch. 

In spring 2020 Fauci worked with Facebook to eliminate any mention of the lab leak theory on the platform. 

A newly surfaced email from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request from Buzzfeed, may explain why Facebook was censoring the information. 

"Tony: I wanted to send a note of thanks for your leadership and everything you're doing to make our country's response to this outbreak as effective as possible. I also wanted to share a few ideas of ways we could help you get your message out but I understand you're incredibly busy, so don't feel a need to reply unless these seem interesting," Zuckerberg wrote in an email to Fauci on March 15, 2020, adding that he wanted to help get "authoritative" information out to the masses. 

Fauci responded to Zuckerberg directly and worked with him on a number of messaging projects for the platform. 

When Fauci was asked about the lab leak theory in April 2020, he downplayed the idea. Facebook then started removing posts and conversations about the lab leak theory from their platform.

After a year of suppression and proof the lab leak theory was true, Facebook issued a mea culpa

"Facebook will no longer take down posts claiming that Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured, a company spokesperson told POLITICO on Wednesday, a move that acknowledges the renewed debate about the virus’ origins." 

"Facebook’s policy tweak arrives as support surges in Washington for a fuller investigation into the origins of Covid-19 after the Wall Street Journal reported that three scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalized in late 2019 with symptoms consistent with the virus. The findings have reinvigorated the debate about the so-called Wuhan lab-leak theory, once dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theory."