Meta is taking a major step back toward free speech and shutting down third-party fact-checking programs

In 2022 Elon Musk bought Twitter and made a number of changes to the platform, including changing the name to X and introducing a Community Notes feature that allows users to add context or fact-check potentially misleading information.

This approach differs from Meta’s model, which relies on third-party, independent fact-checking organizations to flag misleading posts on Instagram, Facebook and Threads (its rival, X).

however, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Meta will stop working with these organizations and instead implement a Community Notes feature similar to X. Zuckerberg also revealed a number of other major changes to the company’s moderation policies and practices aimed at giving people more freedom of expression.

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Community comments will appear on Meta platforms

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg announced that the social media company would stop working with third-party fact-checking organizations. In the video posted on Instagram and Facebook, Zuckerberg said the company’s approach to moderating content too often leads to “censorship.”

“Since Trump was first elected in 2016, the legacy media has written nonstop about how misinformation threatens democracy. We tried in good faith to solve these problems without becoming judges of the truth,” said Zuckerberg. “But fact-checkers have been too politically engaged and have destroyed more trust than they’ve built, especially in the US.”

This was stated by Zuckerberg Meta is ending its fact-checking program with trusted partners and replace it with a community-driven system similar to X Community Notes.

For those who don’t know, Community Notes on X allows users to collaboratively add context or check facts that are potentially misleading. If a tweet is flagged for misinformation or lack of context, users can submit notes that provide additional information or correct inaccuracies.

These notes are then viewed by other users, who can upvote or downvote contributions based on their usefulness and accuracy. When a note gets enough support, it becomes visible below the original tweet, offering a balanced view and helping to inform others.

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Meta changes are causing backlash in the fact-checking community

However, independent fact-checkers are not happy with the changes.

“Fact-checking journalism has never censored or deleted reports; it adds information and context to controversial claims and debunks hoaxes and conspiracy theories. The fact-checkers used by Meta adhere to a code of principles that require impartiality and transparency.” said Angie Drobnik Holan, Director of the International Fact-Checking Network.

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Meta also reduces censorship

Zuckerberg also revealed plans to overhaul the Meta recommendation system, which determines the content shown to users. For years, the company has restricted political content, citing user feedback and concerns about the influence of social media on beliefs.

“We’ve built a lot of sophisticated systems for content moderation, but the problem with sophisticated systems is that they make mistakes,” Zuckerberg said. “Even if they only accidentally censor 1% of posts, that’s millions of people, and we’ve reached a point where there are too many mistakes and too much censorship.”

He added that Meta would eliminate some content policies on controversial issues, including immigration and gender, and refocus its automated moderation on what he described as serious violations. The company will now take a more personalized approach to political content so that people who want to see more of it in their feeds can see it.

In addition, Facebook will move its trust and safety and content moderation teams from California to Texas. Zuckerberg also said Meta would work with the incoming Trump administration to promote free speech around the world, though he did not provide specific details.

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The key is from Kurt

Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram were more heavily moderated compared to platforms like X, which meant less freedom of expression for users. The changes, announced by Zuckerberg on Tuesday, aim to relax those rules, allowing people to share their thoughts more freely. This may lead to more offensive content, but it’s a trade-off for more freedom. The introduction of Community Notes is also a good change, as it gives users more control rather than leaving it to a small group of people who may be biased towards a particular political party or issue.

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