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Psaki says White House is 'flagging problematic posts' for Facebook

At a White House press briefing held jointly with Surgeon General Murthy, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was 'in regular touch' with social media platforms and was 'flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.' She outlined four proposed steps for platforms, including publicly sharing data on misinformation's reach, faster removal of violative posts, and promoting quality sources in feed algorithms. The statement later became a frequently cited piece of evidence in litigation and congressional investigations over government-platform contacts.

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We're flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki, White House briefing, July 15, 2021

Linked sources

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy — July 15, 2021 (WH archive)
Tier 1 · transcript · Contains the 'flagging problematic posts for Facebook' statement

Related contentions

Did government pressure turn platforms into state censors?

Unresolved. The Supreme Court disposed of Murthy v. Missouri on standing grounds without reaching the merits, so no court has finally decided whether the 2021 government-platform contacts crossed from persuasion into unconstitutional coercion. Congressional investigations and platform disclosures continue, and the line between legitimate government speech and unlawful jawboning remains actively contested.