Information
Meta, the social media giant led by Mark Zuckerberg, announced plans to phase out third-party fact-checkers on its platforms in the US, replacing them with a system of community notes. Zuckerberg cited concerns about political bias in fact-checking, claiming it had eroded trust and calling for a return to “free expression” as Meta’s core value. This shift mirrors the approach of Elon Musk’s X platform, which had already eliminated fact-checking in favour of community-driven moderation. As part of the overhaul, Meta intends to simplify its content policies, remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender, and relocate its trust and safety teams from California to Texas, where Zuckerberg believes there is less concern over political bias. Additionally, the platform will allow users greater control over the amount of political content they encounter, reversing its 2021 policy to reduce political discourse.
This move comes as Zuckerberg works to rebuild ties with President-elect Donald Trump, who had previously criticised Meta for its perceived liberal bias. In the past, Meta had both supported and opposed Trump, including donating to his inauguration fund and later banning him from Facebook after the January 6 Capitol riots—though his account has since been restored. Recent efforts, such as a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago, signal an attempt to align with the incoming administration. In his video statement, Zuckerberg expressed Meta’s intent to collaborate with Trump to counteract international censorship laws, citing concerns over growing government restrictions on speech worldwide.
Source: AP, AFP
So what
This is a huge move for such a large social media company, and while it is likely somewhat political, it is also possible that it is a way to get younger users to stay on Meta’s platforms. However, it is likely that the community notes feature is open to manipulation like any system, leaving the platform open to disinformation like that seen on X.
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