The Media Research Center claims Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta attempted to gain favor with the prominent conservative watchdog group just before the start of the company’s historic antitrust trial with the FTC, which seeks to unwind Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
The New York Post reports that Mark Zuckerberg’s “nudged” the Media Research Center (MRC), an influential watchdog organization known for its criticism of Big Tech censorship and political bias, in an apparent attempt to gain favor ahead of the landmark antitrust trial filed by the FTC. The agency has accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of employing a “buy or bury” strategy to maintain a monopoly and is currently engaged in a historic legal battle to compel Meta to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp.
According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, a Meta official reached out to MRC executive Dan Schneider in early April, just as the FTC trial was set to begin. During the phone call, the Meta representative mentioned the upcoming trial and highlighted Zuckerberg’s recent decision to replace the company’s fact-checking unit, which had been widely criticized by Republicans for censoring conservatives, with a more lenient “community notes” policy.
Schneider, when contacted by the Post, confirmed the occurrence of the call and expressed his interpretation of the outreach as Meta “nudging” him to take action, such as promoting Meta’s new policy, in an effort to gain favor with conservatives. “On the eve of this trial that could have severe ramifications for Meta, [the company official] was throwing a ‘hail Mary’ pass to see if one of its chief critics would run cover for them in some way,” Schneider stated.
The Meta official also implied that the FTC could achieve a more impactful outcome “not at trial, but with something beforehand,” which Schneider understood as a reference to a potential settlement. Meta declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the Post, and also declined to comment to Breitbart News.
MRC has a history of publishing analyses and studies exposing censorship by Meta, Google, and other Big Tech companies. As Zuckerberg has extended an olive branch to the MAGA movement, the MRC has also praised the company for rolling back censorship practices. Schneider emphasized that while MRC appreciates Meta’s public statements and apparent steps towards supporting free speech, the company must make amends for the media outlets it has economically harmed and solidify its commitment to free speech rights.
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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