A Meta engineer allegedly admitted in an undercover video that Facebook demotes anti-Kamala Harris posts without notifying users, raising fresh concerns about Big Tech's influence on political discourse ahead of the 2024 election.
In a bombshell claim from James O'Keefe's Media Group, a Meta senior software engineer allegedly admitted to shadowbanning and demoting posts critical of Vice President Kamala Harris. The engineer, Jeevan Gyawali, was recorded in an undercover interview, where he appeared to reveal that Facebook suppresses certain political content without notifying the poster.
In the heavily edited video, Gyawali discussed Meta’s efforts to control political content through its “Integrity Team,” specifically referencing something called "civic classifiers" — a system designed to detect and demote civic-related posts. "Say your uncle in Ohio said something about Kamala Harris being unfit to be a president because she doesn’t have a child, that kind of shit is automatically demoted," Gyawali allegedly told the undercover journalist.
The revelations suggest that users posting anti-Harris content could be subject to shadowbanning, meaning their posts would reach fewer people, while their engagement and impressions would plummet, all without their knowledge. Gyawali described how Meta’s system is designed to suppress political content across the board, regardless of the viewpoint, but appeared to imply that Harris-related posts were specifically targeted.
Gyawali also hinted that Meta’s content control mechanisms could influence the outcome of the 2024 election, saying CEO Mark Zuckerberg supports such efforts. “There is a SWAT team that’s already set up since April… just to think about all the scenarios of how the platform could be abused,” Gyawali appeared to say.
However, questions about the context and accuracy of the engineer’s claims arose, especially given how the interview was conducted. The undercover journalist had reportedly arranged a date with Gyawali through the dating app Bumble, potentially leading to exaggerated or embellished remarks in an attempt to impress. When contacted for comment by O'Keefe, Gyawali allegedly responded, “ah, fuck” before abruptly hanging up.
In response to the controversy, Meta executive Andy Stone took to X (formerly Twitter) to downplay the incident, stating, “Exactly. An ‘undercover sting,’ AKA a date, in which an engineer explained something Meta has been public about for years: we show less political content of all kinds and viewpoints because users have told us they want to see less of it.”
The video, which has sparked debate online, highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding Big Tech’s role in shaping political discourse and the delicate balance between content moderation and censorship. As the 2024 election approaches, these revelations, if accurate, could fuel further concerns over platform bias and the influence of tech giants on public opinion.
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