Mark Zuckerberg lobbies the Trump administration to avoid Meta breakup while conservatives remain banned from Facebook platforms.
Key Insights
- Meta has ended its fact-checking program in favor of a user-based system similar to X’s Community Notes, citing a return to “free expression”
- Despite appearing to court favor with the Trump administration, Meta continues to maintain bans on prominent conservative voices and MAGA supporters
- Meta faces accusations of political manipulation as Democrat-related terms were restricted on Instagram while Republican terms remained searchable
- Zuckerberg is reportedly lobbying Trump to influence the FTC’s antitrust case that could force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp
Meta’s Policy Shift Toward Free Expression
Meta announced a significant overhaul of its content moderation practices in early 2025, ending its fact-checking program in favor of a user-based system similar to Elon Musk’s X Community Notes feature. The change marks a dramatic reversal from the company’s previous stance on misinformation. Meta executives notably informed Trump officials about the policy change in advance, suggesting an effort to curry favor with the new administration. The decision has been particularly well-received by conservative allies of Trump, who had long criticized Meta’s previous fact-checking practices as biased against right-leaning content.
“It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression,” stated Mark Zuckerberg, signaling the company’s new direction.
In addition to the fact-checking changes, Meta announced it would ease restrictions on controversial topics including immigration and gender identity. In what many see as another politically significant move, Meta’s content moderation teams will be relocated from California to Texas. The company’s Oversight Board has supported these changes, while digital rights groups have condemned the decision, viewing it as favorable to Trump and extremist content creators.
Platform Issues and Political Favoritism
Despite these apparent overtures to conservatives, Meta faces accusations of ongoing political bias. Instagram users recently discovered that searches for “Democrats” and related hashtags such as “#DNC” were being blocked and labeled as “sensitive content,” while searches for Republican terms like “#RNC” functioned normally. When confronted, Meta claimed this was due to “an error affecting hashtags across the political spectrum,” though many users remained skeptical of this explanation given the one-sided nature of the restrictions.
Facebook users have also reported issues with account follows related to the presidential transition, specifically with the POTUS account. The controversy has fueled a planned boycott campaign called “Lights Out Meta,” though the number of users actually leaving Meta’s platforms remains small compared to its massive user base. The timing of these issues during a politically sensitive transition period has raised questions about Meta’s handling of political content.
Zuckerberg’s Political Maneuvering
Behind these public changes, reports indicate Zuckerberg has been making regular visits to the White House to lobby the president. His primary objective appears to be influencing the FTC’s decision regarding an antitrust case that could potentially force Meta to sell major acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp. This lobbying effort comes after years of tension between Meta and Trump, which escalated after Trump’s accounts were banned following the January 6 Capitol events.
Critics have pointed out the apparent contradiction in Zuckerberg’s approach, with conservative commentator Natalie Winters stating: “Zuckerberg spent hundreds of millions — billions — of dollars supporting open borders, ‘criminal justice reform’ (think – George Floyd riots) and election-fixing for Democrats and now he wants favors from the Trump administration.” – Source
Continued Conservative Bans Despite Trump Outreach
Perhaps most revealing of Meta’s contradictory approach is the company’s continued ban of prominent conservative voices even as Zuckerberg courts the Trump administration. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer expressed frustration with the situation, stating: “Zuckerberg is full of shit, And so are all of the so-called ‘conservatives’ he brought on now that Trump is back. Facebook lied to me & said my account would be restored. I’m still banned.”
Other conservative commentators have called for regulatory action against Meta regardless of Zuckerberg’s current political positioning. Mike Cernovich argued: “Facebook must be broken up, [Instagram] and WhatsApp should not have been allowed to merge with them. Clear antitrust violations, this limits competition and gives too much power to censor to one man, Mark Zuckerberg, who hates America.” – Source
As Meta navigates these political waters, the company’s actions rather than words will likely determine how it’s viewed by both the administration and conservative users who have long felt marginalized on the platform. Whether Zuckerberg’s lobbying efforts will succeed in preventing a potential breakup of his social media empire remains to be seen.
Sources:
- Meta Says It Will End Its Fact-Checking Program on Social Media Posts
- Here’s why Meta ended fact-checking, according to experts
- Meta Keeps Big MAGA Accounts on Ban List as Mark Zuckerberg Lobbies Trump
