In an exclusive report shared with The Verge, a newly released report by a Republican-led House subcommittee reveals internal communications indicating that the Biden administration exerted pressure on social media platforms to combat Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation. However, the report also highlights instances where executives from Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, and Amazon showed resistance to the administration's approach.

The report, set to be released by the subcommittee, aligns with a pending Supreme Court case, Murthy v. Missouri, which focuses on whether the Biden administration's backchannel communications with platforms like Facebook violated the First Amendment. While the communications themselves are not illegal, the Supreme Court is deliberating on whether they rise to the level of coercion.

The obtained internal communications from 2021 reveal serious pressure from the Biden administration, urging platforms to take more action against Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation. However, the documents also show instances where executives appeared hesitant to comply, swayed by certain arguments or even displeased with the administration's approach.

Among the revelations, private conversations among top Meta executives shed light on the tense relationship between the company and the Biden administration during the early days of the vaccination campaign. President Joe Biden's accusation that the company was "killing people" led to strong reactions from Meta executives, with discussions revolving around engagement with the administration and accusations of scapegoating.

The report follows the House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan's previous subpoena of tech giants, including Google-parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, to understand the extent to which the Executive Branch collaborated with these companies to censor speech. The report refrains from using the word "collusion" but focuses on the concept of "coercion" instead.

The significance of shifting from "collusion" to "coercion" lies in its alignment with the pending Supreme Court case, Murthy v. Missouri, which explores the distinction between legal persuasion and illegal coercion by the government. This development in language suggests that the committee's report is closely tied to the core arguments in the ongoing case.

During a hearing conducted by the select subcommittee, former Biden administration officials Andy Slavitt and Rob Flaherty emphasized that their communications with social media companies were intended to understand how they implemented their own policies regarding misinformation. They asserted that the interactions were in line with the principles of the First Amendment and refuted claims of coercion.

The report highlights instances that the committee characterizes as pressure or coercion from the Biden administration to censor speech on platforms such as Facebook, Google's YouTube, and Amazon. The report also raises questions about the nature of the pressure exerted by the White House, which the Supreme Court is expected to address in the upcoming months.

While Democrats, like Select Subcommittee Ranking Member Stacey Plaskett, accuse Republicans of attempting to influence the Supreme Court's decision in Murthy v. Missouri, Republicans argue that they plan to release all relevant testimony and video once they have obtained consent from those involved.

The released WhatsApp exchange among Meta executives reveals their reaction to Biden's statement accusing Facebook of "killing people" due to misinformation. Executives expressed frustration with the White House's behavior, prompting Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to suggest an aggressive response highlighting the administration's use of Facebook as a scapegoat. However, the exchange indicates that Meta executives did not perceive specific pressure to censor the lab leak theory.

The report provides a unique insight into the decision-making processes regarding social media policies. Ultimately, the Supreme Court will have the task of determining whether the pressure exerted by the White House constitutes coercion. As the case unfolds, the report sheds light on private communications among Meta's top executives, revealing how they navigated criticism and the relationship with the Biden administration.

In 2018, CNN published an article titled "Amazon and 16 other companies Trump has attacked since his election," where Facebook was also mentioned as a target of criticism by the former president.

Amazon, Google, and Meta declined to comment on the report, while The Verge's attempts to reach the White House and Democratic Judiciary Committee staff for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

The House Judiciary Committee's report and the pending Supreme Court case continue to fuel discussions surrounding content moderation, freedom of speech, and the influence of government on social media platforms in combating Covid-19 misinformation.