The National Rifle Association (NRA) has accused Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, of 'election interference' following the removal of social media posts deemed to contain 'false information' about Vice President Kamala Harris.
The controversy stemmed from a 2007 clip shared by the NRA showing Harris, then a San Francisco District Attorney, discussing the city's efforts against handguns. The NRA added captions suggesting that Harris supported mass gun confiscation and entering homes to seize legally owned guns.
However, on September 24, both Facebook and Instagram labeled the post as 'false information,' citing independent fact-checkers who found no basis for the claims made in the post.
An article linked in the disclaimers highlighted Harris' support for a ban on purchasing certain semiautomatic weapons but clarified that she no longer advocates for mandatory gun buyback programs.
Another NRA post on Instagram, claiming that Harris only wants to ban guns, was also flagged for 'missing context.' The post featured a video of Harris discussing universal background checks.
Randy Kovuch, the executive director of NRA-ILA, expressed concerns about Meta's actions, labeling them as 'left-wing organizations exploiting Meta's rules to suppress key messaging.' Kovuch emphasized the importance of the NRA's ability to communicate with voters in the lead-up to the election.
He criticized Meta for censoring certain viewpoints and called for transparency to ensure that the American people understand the implications for their Second Amendment rights in the upcoming election.
The dispute between the NRA and Meta underscores the ongoing challenges of regulating misinformation and political content on social media platforms during the election season.
