The Biden administration’s approach to managing information, dubbed the “Censorship-Industrial Complex,” extended beyond merely regulating discussions around COVID-19, according to recent documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who worked closely with Anthony Fauci during the pandemic, aimed to exert significant influence over social media platforms like Meta, intending to oversee a wide array of “health and medical misinformation” throughout the country.
In May 2026, the Trump administration reached a settlement in its lawsuit concerning the infringement of conservatives’ First Amendment rights, describing it as a significant achievement in the struggle for free speech in the U.S.
The documents, which date back to the summer of 2021 when this censorship initiative was at its peak, illustrate the government’s pressure tactics.
Murthy did not respond to requests for comments.
Elon Musk’s interactions with journalists to disclose the “Twitter Files” and a congressional inquiry into Meta unveiled internal communications about their censorship strategy. The newly released documents shed light on the government’s side of this campaign.
Obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Protect the Public’s Trust, a nonpartisan governance group, these documents were shared exclusively with the DCNF.
According to Communications Director Alexa Moutevelis, the documents reveal an administration deeply engaged in battling what it labeled “misinformation,” often at the cost of other significant priorities, and with a vested interest in controlling public discourse.
Several documents indicate that Murthy’s office was gearing up to publish a formal advisory on misinformation on July 14, 2021.
Two days later, on July 16, 2021, Biden remarked, “They’re killing people,” which intensified the White House’s pressure on companies to limit certain expressions.
Memos suggest that for Murthy’s team, censoring social media wasn’t seen as a temporary measure; rather, it was integral to public health. The government even restricted memes, jokes, and factual information that it deemed undesirable.
A Meta employee noted on July 21, 2021, that “The Surgeon General wants us to remove true information about side effects,” according to the congressional investigation.
The documents indicate the Biden administration had a comprehensive plan for its censorship strategies.
Murthy’s policy aide, Daniel Tartakovsky, wrote in May 2021, highlighting the broader implications of health and medical misinformation beyond just COVID-related issues and emphasizing social media’s influence on society, especially on younger audiences.
Tartakovsky did not provide comments upon request.
A memo from the summer of 2021 to Murthy’s “misinformation tiger team” reflects their vigorous efforts to eliminate negative content regarding COVID vaccines from the Internet, referencing it as the “Nick Clegg approach” after Meta’s president of global affairs.
Evidence from the congressional inquiry indicated that Clegg was aware that the government’s requests conflicted with First Amendment rights but suggested that Meta had to prioritize its relationship with the government over those concerns.
The memo also expresses a feeling of achievement following the temporary suspension of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, viewing it as momentum for further account removals.
Employees at Facebook and Amazon internally noted that the Biden administration was imposing pressure to eliminate opinions it disapproved of, which the documents suggest was acknowledged within the government as well.
The memo states that Biden and Murthy signaled to tech companies that health misinformation was a serious public health concern.
Murthy’s team expressed frustration over their inability to retrieve more user data from Facebook, considering the platform’s data dominance a disadvantage, which led to suggestions for greater transparency and accountability from tech providers.
Internally, they recognized that their misinformation initiative might politicize their office by intensifying the social media censorship debate.
Misinformation
While traditionally focused on disseminating quality health information, Murthy’s office shifted its focus for a period of weeks primarily towards addressing misinformation leading up to the July 2021 advisory, as indicated in another email.
The documents outline Murthy’s talking points for media engagements that summer, some of which lacked substantial evidence.
He claimed in August 2021, “Simply put, vaccine requirements will stop the spread of variants and keep more people safe.”
His notes pointed out that “if you are unvaccinated, you present a problem to yourself, family, and those with whom you work.”
After the FDA granted full approval to the COVID vaccine in August 2021, aides advised Murthy to refrain from detailing the FDA approval process.
Murthy encouraged children to wear masks, even in states that didn’t enforce mandates, urging parents, “have your kids wear masks.”
His communications also addressed social media censorship, with prepared responses for a “Stakeholder Q&A” asserting that removing unwanted opinions online was not akin to cancel culture.
One potential question prepared for him noted, “Isn’t this just a part of cancel culture?” to which Murthy’s response was straightforward: “No, it’s the opposite actually.”
