Zuckerberg is accused of 'shadow banning' military content by top Republicans.

On Tuesday, a prominent Republican senator will send a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, accusing the company of "shadow banning" and removing social media posts.

In part, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the top Republican on the Small Business committee, will reference a 2022 Washington Post report on social media companies' "deamplification" of certain Facebook and Instagram content.

The report examined Meta's reaction to "problematic content," which the executive at the time characterized as "borderline" and asserted would have decreased reach because of its tendency to spread rapidly.

In a letter to Zuckerberg's office in San Mateo County, California, Ernst claimed that the content included military and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Virginia.

In a letter to Meta, Senator Ernst expressed concern about the company's ongoing shadow banning and removal of posts from the U.S. Armed Services, as it presents an unparalleled opportunity to connect the military with younger generations.

"The freedom of every American to express themselves relies solely on the selfless sacrifice of brave women and men who enlist in the military."

According to Ernst, the preservation of Americans' freedoms is contingent upon the existence of the all-volunteer military, which she has personally experienced.

She added that she was concerned that Meta's algorithms were hindering their investment in connecting with and recruiting the next generation of warfighters.

"The bravery of military personnel should be honored, not limited."

In her letter, Ernst accused Meta of inconsistently modifying its violation policies without a "justifiable reason" and pointed out Congressional reports indicating a rise in content restrictions on military-related posts.

Ernst reported a number of Instagram posts that violated the platform's guidelines and resulted in a loss of cyber "reach."

On Feb. 29, a six-hour suspension of a post resulted in a loss of 2,500 impressions and 500 engagements, while on March 3, a similar situation reduced a post's reach by 5,000 impressions and 1,100 engagements.

Over a three-day period in September, ten posts on the GoArmy social media account were flagged as violating guidelines, causing the account to be briefly put on "non-recommendable" status twice, according to Ernst.

Several Army posts, including those featuring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and soldiers onboard a helicopter, experienced disruptions, according to the senator.

Zuckerberg was asked by Ernst to reveal the rules used to handle military-related content and how they are conveyed to users.

She inquired about the reasons behind the removal of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier post and the measures taken to prevent future shadow-bans.

The lawmaker requested an estimate on the cost of the official Pentagon-approved ads that were suppressed.