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Original title: Zuckerberg's open letter criticizes the Biden administration: I regret that we are not more outspoken

Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Facebook was "pressured" by the U.S. government to censor content related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the global pandemic, and he regretted the company's decision to accept the requests.

"In 2021, senior Biden administration officials, including in the White House, have pressured our team for months to censor certain content about the coronavirus, including humor and satire," Zuckerberg wrote in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee. While it is Meta's decision whether to remove content, he continued, "the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we haven't been more outspoken."

Facebook managers have drawn the wrath of critics of lockdowns, vaccines and mask requirements during the pandemic as the company removed posts it said contained misinformation about the virus or otherwise violated its policies. All told, Facebook has taken down more than 20 million pieces of content in just over a year.

Zuckerberg is also trying to appear nonpartisan ahead of the upcoming presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. "My goal is to remain neutral and not play a role, or even appear to play a role, one way or another," Zuckerberg wrote in the letter, which was posted on the House Judiciary Committee's Facebook page and confirmed by Meta. He wrote the letter in response to donations made during the last presidential election to support election infrastructure.