O'Keefe: 'More to come' after Project Veritas release docs revealing Facebook censoring 'vaccine hesitancy'
'Based on the [vaccine hesitancy] score, we will demote or leave the comment alone', one whistleblower disclosed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Investigative journalist James O'Keefe reacted on "Hannity" on Monday to exclusive documents and interviews that were provided to his Project Veritas organization by two Facebook whistleblowers that purport to show the social media giant is using an algorithm to target users who disseminate messaging that runs counter to the company's political ideology – even if the comments being made are factually accurate.
O'Keefe told Sean Hannity on Monday that Facebook initiated a "beta" test for the algorithm that classifies some users under two incremental tiers of what they dub "vaccine hesitancy" or a "VH Score" without the user's knowledge.
"Based on that VH score, we will demote or leave the comment alone depending on the content within the comment," a whistleblower, with his identity obscured for his safety, said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The stated goal of the new feature is to "drastically reduce user exposure" to "VH" comments, O'Keefe's team reported in a Monday document, in addition to a quote "decrease in other engagement of VH comments including create, likes, reports [and] replies."
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"The narrative [is] get the vaccine, the vaccine is good for you, everyone should get it. If you don't, you will be singled out as an enemy of society."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first whistleblower told O'Keefe, in video he played for Hannity, that Facebook, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, wants to "build a community where everyone complies -- not where people can have an open discourse and dialogue about the most personal and private and intimate decisions."
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The employee stated that the policy will continue to expand its reach until "anything can be violated."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What's remarkable about these private documents that Facebook has not wanted you to see until tonight is that 'Tier 2' [violation] says even if the facts are true that you will be targeted and demoted -- your comments will be targeted and demoted," said O'Keefe.
Facebook responded to Project Veritas, saying they "proactively announced this policy on our company blog."
O'Keefe, however, countered that the change in policy has largely been private – lamenting that Facebook's stated image as a free-speech town square is actually naught.
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"They don't want you to know that they are doing this. And this is the town square as you all know. We are trying to retake our town square," he said.
"They are demoting your comments and de-boosting you on Facebook without you knowing that they are doing that. And they are obviously terrified of this report because they are responding to Project Veritas before they would attack us or ignore us."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There is more to come," O'Keefe remarked.