Meta Removes Fact-Checkers: Misinformation Spreads

Meta Adjusts Content Policies: Fact-Checking and Creator Bonuses

Meta is discontinuing its partnerships with third-party fact-checking organizations within the United States. Simultaneously, the company is reinstating a bonus program designed to financially reward content creators for posts that achieve significant virality.

Potential Increase in Misinformation

According to a report by ProPublica, the concurrent implementation of these policy shifts at Meta raises concerns about a possible surge in the dissemination of inaccurate information.

Changes to Monetization Policies

Previously, content creators were restricted from generating revenue from posts that had been flagged as false by fact-checkers. These restrictions will no longer be enforced as Meta is reducing its emphasis on proactive content moderation.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and CEO, has indicated the company will adopt a strategy mirroring X’s Community Notes feature. This approach allows designated users to append contextual notes to posts, highlighting potentially misleading content.

Transition and Early Impacts

While the full transition away from the existing fact-checking infrastructure isn't scheduled until March, instances of false content are already becoming more widespread.

A manager of a Facebook page, responsible for sharing a widely circulated and fabricated claim regarding potential payments from ICE for information on undocumented immigrants, expressed to ProPublica that the termination of the fact-checking program represents “great information.”

Seeking Clarification from Meta

TechCrunch has contacted Meta seeking further clarification regarding these changes.

These adjustments signify a notable shift in Meta’s approach to content governance, prioritizing creator incentives alongside a more community-driven approach to identifying misinformation.