Posey questioned Zuckerberg on Wednesday over Facebook’s policy of treating “anti-vaccine” content in a censorious manner, with Zuckerberg responding that he believed scientific “consensus” that vaccines were safe, and that Facebook search results would conceal any group critical of vaccines. Posey then mentioned the inconvenient fact that over $4 billion has been paid out in compensation to those who have been injured or to killed by vaccines. That fact bounced off Zuckerberg, who reiterated his company’s defense of burying any content critical of vaccines. Of course, it is his company, and he has a right to do what he wants with it. But does a company cease to be “private” once it begins contracting with the government, or doing its bidding? The corporate news here in the US begins wailing and wringing hands when the media in foreign lands is bullied, censored, or co-opted, yet when it happens here, no one in power appears to bat an eye.
No private business should be compelled to testify to Congress for lawful activity. The reason Zuckerberg goes along with it? Because he wants something from them. He wants the favoritism that Congress can dole out, he wants the blind eye, the protectionism, the perks of being in their favor. This ceaseless currying of favor from government is deeply unhealthy, and the spectacle of a private businessman prostrating himself before Congress is a pathetic display.
This way of doing business now, blurring the lines between industry and government, is dangerous because it clears a path for large-scale corruption. The difference should be clearly marked. Private business should only have to answer for crimes, not lawful activity. But in the present state of business and government, crimes can be openly committed by the politically favored, while the lawful-but-unfavored competitors are railroaded as a gift to the former.
Zuck should do what he wants with his platform. But he should also be forbidden from crawling, hat in hand, to Congress when his competition puts him out of business.
