Meta Ends US Fact-Checking Partnerships

Meta Discontinues U.S. Fact-Checking Programs

As of Monday, Meta will cease utilizing fact-checkers within the United States, as confirmed by Joel Kaplan, the company’s chief global affairs officer.

Policy Shift and Timing

This substantial alteration to Meta’s policies was initially revealed in January, coinciding with a relaxation of its content moderation guidelines.

The timing of this decision notably followed the inauguration of President Trump, an event attended by Meta’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, after a $1 million donation to the inauguration fund.

Board Changes and Prioritization of Speech

Concurrently, Dana White, a long-standing supporter of Trump and the CEO of UFC, was appointed to Meta’s board of directors.

Zuckerberg articulated the rationale behind the moderation changes, stating, “The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech.”

Impact on Marginalized Groups

However, this increased prioritization of speech may come at a cost to vulnerable populations.

Meta’s hateful conduct policy currently permits allegations concerning mental illness or abnormality when predicated on gender or sexual orientation, particularly within the context of political and religious discussions surrounding transgenderism and homosexuality.

New Approach: Community Notes

Meta is now adopting a fact-checking model inspired by Community Notes on Elon Musk’s X platform.

This approach places a greater emphasis on user-driven moderation, rather than relying solely on paid professionals.

According to a post by Kaplan on X, “In place of fact checks, the first Community Notes will start appearing gradually across Facebook, Threads & Instagram, with no penalties attached.”

Limitations of Community-Based Moderation

While community-based content moderation can sometimes offer valuable context to potentially misleading or contentious posts, it is most effective when used in conjunction with other moderation tools – tools that Meta is currently dismantling.

Attention Economy and Content Amplification

Meta’s primary asset is its users’ attention, and reduced content moderation is expected to increase the volume of posts users encounter.

Furthermore, Meta’s news feed algorithm tends to prioritize content that elicits strong emotional responses.

Rise of False Content

Even in its initial stages, as Meta began to scale back its fact-checking initiatives, the spread of inaccurate information has been observed.

A Facebook page manager, responsible for disseminating a false claim regarding ICE offering payments for information on undocumented immigrants, indicated to ProPublica that the end of the fact-checking program was “great information.”

Expanded Discourse and Policy Rationale

Kaplan explained in January, “We’re getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate.”

He further stated, “It’s not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms.”