Did Trump Admin Pressure Facebook To Censor Content? Here’s What Pam Bondi Said

On Tuesday, Meta removed a Facebook group allegedly used to “dox and target” US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Chicago, following direct intervention by the Trump Department of Justice. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the takedown in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Today, following outreach from [the Department of Justice], Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target ICE agents in Chicago.”Bondi claimed the group played a role in what she described as a “wave of violence against ICE,” blaming “online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs.” She also vowed that the DOJ would continue engaging with tech companies “to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.”Meta confirmed the group’s removal, citing violations of its policies on “coordinated harm” and “promoting crime,” but declined to disclose the group’s size or the specific content that triggered the action.While Bondi and the DOJ framed the move as a matter of public safety, it has reignited broader concerns over government pressure on social media platforms, especially given the Trump administration’s track record of labeling lawful activities like recording ICE agents in public or sharing their whereabouts as “illegal doxing.” Legal experts and courts have consistently affirmed that such acts are generally protected under the First Amendment.Social Media ReactionsThe incident quickly drew backlash online, especially from those who accused the Trump administration of hypocrisy. Critics pointed to the GOP’s longstanding condemnation of the Biden administration for its own alleged efforts to pressure tech platforms into moderating content, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Related News | Who Are William Hendrix and Peter Giunta? Young Republicans Leaders at the Center of Politico’s Explosive Chat LeakIn 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly accused senior Biden officials of pushing Facebook to censor COVID-related content. At the time, Zuckerberg vowed that Meta would resist such pressure in the future.Now, some observers are calling out what they see as a double standard.“Amazing. When the Biden admin reached out to Facebook to take down pages filled with COVID disinformation, it caused Zuckerberg to decry a full assault on free speech in America. Now, the Trump admin reaches out to remove ICE information and Facebook complies,” journalist Sam Stein wrote on X.“What an amazing admission. Republicans sued Biden—and went to the Supreme Court—for pressuring social media companies to censor content. This is… exactly that. So many people only care about the First Amendment when they aren’t in power,” tweeted journalist Billy Binion.“Following outreach from the Justice Department… They’re bragging about their social media censorship efforts. I’m sure @mtaibbi and @bariweiss and the rest of the ‘Twitter Files’ crew will be all over this, right? Right??” added journalist Mehdi Hasan, referencing reporters who covered internal Twitter documents related to alleged censorship of conservatives.