Facebook Flagged Critique of Tech CEOs as 'Controversial.' Meta Claims It Was a 'Mistake'

A journalist claimed his article was restricted by Meta for "critiquing tech industry figures," until—after a series of follow-ups—a spokesperson claimed it was all an automated mistake.

For weeks, journalist Gil Duran's article on Elon Musk and Silicon Valley's push for corporate-controlled governance was restricted on Facebook, with users unable to share or distribute it.

Duran's article, "Memo: Capture of U.S. Critical Infrastructure by Neoreactionaries," examined how Musk's influence in Washington aligns with the broader "Network State" movement—an effort by tech billionaires to establish privatized, corporate-run governments. But when readers attempted to share the piece, Facebook blocked it, Duran told User Mag.

After repeated inquiries, Meta's support team told Duran that his article "addresses topics like the 'Network State' concept and critiques of tech industry figures," and that "Meta may flag such content as sensitive or controversial, leading to restrictions."

However, on Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson walked back that statement. "Mr. Duran should never have received this response since it is factually inaccurate and does not reflect Meta's policies," the spokesperson said, referring to the restriction as a "mistake" and blaming automated systems for misidentifying the article as spam.

Duran remains skeptical. "Meta says it was a mistake, but...there's a lot missing in their explanation," he told the outlet. "Most of Facebook is spam. It's AI generated stuff getting 20,000 shares, it's 75% fake news."

"There's no reason why criticizing tech billionaires or writing about the Network State should in any way trigger a restriction," he emphasized. "I think that this opened a window into their very strange and opaque processes."

As Silicon Valley billionaires push for policies that consolidate their influence, Duran's story highlights how social media platforms can be used to control public discourse.