The movie Reagan is at the center of a censorship row involving Facebook, with actress Penelope Ann Miller, who plays Nancy Reagan in the film, voicing her frustration in a television interview on September 23.
The marketing team for the film—which stars Dennis Quaid as the 40th U.S. president—alleges that ahead of, during, and after its August 30 release, the social media giant repeatedly restricted their promotional content, raising questions about content moderation and freedom of expression on digital platforms.
The Context
Conservative figures have long expressed concerns that major technology companies, often perceived as having liberal biases, are censoring or suppressing conservative viewpoints on their platforms. This tension has fueled debates over free speech, content moderation, and political bias in Silicon Valley, with incidents involving high-profile conservatives amplifying these fears.
Past examples include claims in 2016 from former Facebook contractors that the platform’s “Trending Topics” feature routinely suppressed news stories of interest to conservative readers. This led to widespread criticism and prompted a meeting between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and prominent conservatives to address the allegations.
There were also censorship claims during the 2020 election. In October 2020, Facebook limited the sharing of a New York Post article regarding Hunter Biden, citing concerns over hacked materials and misinformation. Conservatives criticized the move as an attempt to suppress information damaging to then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.
What We Know
The controversy began when the marketing team for Reagan faced obstacles promoting the movie on Facebook. In May 2024 attempts to boost a clip of Jordan Peterson interviewing Quaid were denied by Facebook, citing policies against content related to “social issues, elections, or politics.” Similar issues arose in August when interviews from Valuetainment and Fox News featuring Quaid led to temporary suspensions of the film’s Facebook account.
Eric McClellan, the film’s director of digital marketing, sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg on August 12, highlighting these challenges. Facebook later acknowledged that their automated systems had mistakenly flagged the content, attributing the errors to their policies on ads about social issues, elections, or politics. The platform stated that the restrictions had been lifted and that there were no active limitations preventing the promotion of the film.
Facebook’s policies are designed to prevent interference in elections and require authorization for ads related to politics and social issues. However, the application of these policies to historical content about a president who left office decades ago raised questions among the film’s team and supporters. Newsweek reached out via email to Meta for comment.
Here’s a timeline of the events that unfolded.
May 2024: Promotion Attempt with Jordan Peterson Interview
- The Reagan marketing team posted a clip of Dennis Quaid being interviewed by psychologist and author Jordan Peterson.
- When Eric McClellan, the film’s director of digital marketing, tried to boost the post through paid advertising, Facebook declined, stating the content was related to “social issues, elections, or politics.”
August 3, 2024: Account Suspension After Valuetainment Podcast
- An interview featuring Quaid on Patrick Bet-David’s Valuetainment podcast was shared on the movie’s Facebook page.
- Following the post, Facebook temporarily suspended the account associated with the film without providing specific reasons.
August 5, 2024: Second Suspension After Fox News Interview
- The Reagan team posted an interview of Quaid conducted by the Fox News Channel.
- Facebook again temporarily suspended the movie’s account.
August 12, 2024: Letter to Mark Zuckerberg
- Eric McClellan sent a formal letter to Zuckerberg, detailing the obstacles he claims were faced in promoting the film.
- McClellan confirmed the authenticity of the letter with Newsweek but offered no further comment.
August 13, 2024: Dennis Quaid Speaks Out
- In an exclusive email to Newsweek, Quaid accused Facebook of “censoring the free flow of ideas.”
- He questioned why content about a president who left office decades ago would be restricted.
August 15, 2024: Appearance on Joe Rogan’s Podcast
- Quaid discussed the censorship issues on The Joe Rogan Experience.
- He expressed disbelief that Facebook labeled the content as an attempt to sway an election, noting Reagan hasn’t been on the ballot in 40 years.
- Facebook responded by acknowledging the mistake, attributing it to automated systems, and lifted the restrictions.
Dennis Quaid attends the Los Angeles premiere of “Reagan” at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 20, 2024. Quaid, who plays Ronald Reagan in the film, alleges Facebook has been censoring ads and posts related to the biopic.
Robin L Marshal/FilmMagic/Getty Images
August 16, 2024: Reaction to Facebook’s Explanation
- Quaid told Fox News he was “baffled” by Facebook’s justification.
- He emphasized that the film is a historical portrayal, not a political statement aimed at current elections.
August 22, 2024: Quaid Addresses ‘Cancel Culture’
- In an interview with Fox News, Quaid brushed off concerns about being “canceled.”
- Co-star, Miller also expressed surprise over the restrictions, noting the film’s non-political intent.
August 23, 2024: Producers Speak to The New York Post
- The film’s producers accused Facebook and Instagram of banning their movie ads.
- McClellan highlighted repeated blockages of promotional materials, affecting their ability to reach audiences.
September 23, 2024: Ongoing Censorship Issues
- Miller appeared on Fox News to discuss the continuous hurdles.
- She pointed out the film’s positive reception and questioned why it faced such challenges, given its historical nature.
Facebook’s Response
- Facebook acknowledged that some ads were “incorrectly rejected,” attributing the issue to automated systems mistakenly flagging content about President Reagan. A spokesperson stated: “This was a mistake, and the restriction on the ads has been lifted.”
Views
Miller expressed her bewilderment in the interview with Fox News: “This is the person that was our president for eight years, 40 years ago. What does this have to do with politics or this election? It doesn’t. And it just so happens it’s coming out in an election year, but that was not by design.”
McClellan, also voiced his frustration: “We’re trying to promote our film to our fans and reach new fans, and one of the key ways to do that is through advertising on social media platforms. If we can’t reach our audience through Facebook and Instagram, it’s a gross interference with our business and our ability to get our film out into the public.”
Quaid said: “Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what’s best for us to see and hear; only this time it’s throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan. The last time Reagan’s name was on the ballot was 40 years ago. It seems baffling that promoting a historical film could be seen as influencing current elections.”
What’s Next?
With Reagan still playing in theaters, the marketing team behind the biopic are visibly promoting the movie on other social media platforms. The official account on X is currently sharing clips from conversations with its stars and retweeting posts from other accounts mentioning the movie and interviewing the actors, including Ask Dr. Drew, which carried an interview with Miller on September 25.
