A hidden camera video reveals Meta's alleged shadow banning of anti-Kamala Harris posts to influence the 2024 election, according to a senior engineer.
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| Mark Zuckerberg's Meta worker Jeevan Gawali says the platform suppresses anti-Harris content without user knowledge, suggesting political bias ahead of the 2024 U.S. election. Image Courtesy: Meta |
Menlo Park, California, USA --- October 20, 2024:
In a new report by American investigative journalist James O'Keefe, Jeevan Gawali, a senior software engineer at Meta, has made explosive claims regarding Facebook’s content moderation practices in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. According to Gawali, Meta is actively censoring posts critical of Vice President Kamala Harris, an effort he suggests is aimed at supporting Democratic candidates.
The information was revealed in a hidden camera video, where Gawali is seen having a candid conversation with a woman at a restaurant. During the conversation, he explains that Meta’s algorithms are designed to reduce the visibility of certain political posts, particularly those that could harm Harris's public image, without alerting users. This practice, known as "shadow banning," results in posts being blocked or significantly suppressed in users' feeds.
Gawali cited an example where someone might post, “Kamala is unfit to be president because she doesn’t have children,” or make other negative comments, and such content would be automatically blocked by the platform. “You won't even know your post is gone,” Gawali stated, describing how the algorithm works behind the scenes to remove content without notifying the person who posted it.
He went on to allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is leveraging the platform’s reach to influence the upcoming 2024 election. According to Gawali, Zuckerberg and his team have the power to suppress nearly all or at least half of the anti-Harris content being posted on both Facebook and Instagram. These actions are reportedly being taken by a specialized team within Meta that monitors and classifies political content, ensuring that posts critical of Harris and other Democrats receive reduced visibility.
Gawali’s comments have sparked renewed concerns about the role of social media in shaping political discourse and potentially influencing electoral outcomes. Critics of social media censorship have long argued that platforms like Facebook wield too much control over public conversation, raising questions about fairness and transparency, particularly when it comes to political content.
These revelations come amid ongoing debates about the power of Big Tech companies and their ability to influence elections through content moderation. Meta has yet to publicly respond to these allegations. However, the claims will likely add fuel to the already heated discussions about the ethical responsibilities of social media platforms in democratic processes.