Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a sharp rebuke Wednesday from Republican senators for its recent “fact check” of content posted by the pro-life advocacy organization Live Action.
The letter was signed by Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.). The group of lawmakers condemned Facebook’s “pattern of censorship” and called for an external audit of the Silicon Valley-based company.
In late August, Live Action was notified by Facebook that its content — two videos shared by the organization’s president and founder, Lila Rose — constituted “false news,” because fact-checkers for the left-leaning Health Feedback described the claim that abortion is “never medically necessary” as “inaccurate.”
Four Republican senators sent a letter Wednesday morning to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, rebuking the social networking site for its recent “fact check” of content posted by the pro-life advocacy organization Live Action.
The letter was signed by Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.). The group of lawmakers condemned Facebook’s “pattern of censorship” and called for an external audit of the Silicon Valley-based company.
In late August, Live Action was notified by Facebook that its content — two videos shared by the organization’s president and founder, Lila Rose — constituted “false news,” because fact-checkers for the left-leaning Health Feedback described the claim that abortion is “never medically necessary” as “inaccurate.”
However, as the senators’ letter points out, the fact-checkers cited by Facebook — Daniel Grossman and Robyn Shickler — are both abortion providers.
"We Were Targeted": Live Action Founder Lila Rose Says @Facebook Censored Them With Biased Fact Checkers | @DailyCaller @MaryMargOlohan https://t.co/kfNwjUyeLd
— Live Action (@LiveAction) September 8, 2019
“No reasonable person would describe Grossman or Shickler as neutral or objective when it comes to the issue of abortion,” the letter states. “Yet Facebook relied on their rating to suppress and censor a pro-life organization with more than [three] million followers.”
Rose thanked the four senators “for their leadership in condemning Facebook’s decision to make two abortionists the arbiters of the national debate on abortion.”
“Thousands of medical professionals hold the position that abortion — the intentional and direct killing of a child in the womb — is never medically necessary, and that the medical community should see both mother and child as patients,” she said.
Rose went on to explain Live Action is demanding Facebook rescind its fact-check, notify all users of the reversal, and offer a public apology for the entire ordeal.
Alison Centofante, director of external communications for Live Action, said the pro-life group has been told by Facebook the company “is reviewing their process.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Centofante said.
–Metro Voice and wire services
