Meta will cease having any fact-checkers in the United States as of Monday, as stated by Joel Kaplan, the company’s chief global affairs officer. This significant policy change, initially announced by Meta in January, occurred alongside a relaxation of the company’s content moderation rules.
The adjustment in Meta’s policy coincided with the inauguration of President Trump. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, attended the event after contributing $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. During this period, Zuckerberg also appointed Dana White, a longstanding Trump ally and CEO of UFC, to Meta’s board.
In a video announcing the moderation changes, Zuckerberg referred to recent elections as a cultural tipping point that prioritizes speech once again. However, some critics argue that this emphasis on free speech might come at the expense of marginalized groups. Meta’s hateful conduct policy indicates that allegations of mental illness or abnormality based on gender or sexual orientation are permissible, given the political and religious discourse surrounding transgenderism and homosexuality.
Meta is shifting its fact-checking strategy to resemble the Community Notes system used by Elon Musk’s X, which involves peer moderation rather than relying solely on paid professionals. According to Kaplan, these Community Notes will be phased in across Facebook, Threads, and Instagram without penalties for content.
While this community-based content moderation approach can sometimes offer important context to misleading or controversial posts, experts believe it is more effective when used in conjunction with other moderation tools, which Meta is currently eliminating.
Meta’s primary asset is its users’ attention, and reducing content moderation may lead to an increase in the volume of posts available for users to see. Furthermore, the company’s news feed often highlights content that elicits strong reactions.
As Meta begins to withdraw its fact-checking initiatives, the spread of false information has become more prevalent. For instance, a Facebook page manager promoted a false claim about ICE offering $750 for tips on undocumented immigrants and expressed approval of the end of the fact-checking program, describing it as “great information.”
Kaplan elaborated in January that Meta is removing several restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity, and gender, which are frequent subjects of political discourse and debate. He noted that it is inconsistent for something to be broadcast on television or spoken on the floor of Congress but not permitted on Meta’s platforms.
