Meta Scrambles U.S. Fact-Checking Program Amid Criticism from Conservatives
Social media company Meta Platforms has scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity, bowing to criticism from conservatives as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office for a second time.
Meta’s Biggest Overhaul of Political Content Management
The move is Meta’s biggest overhaul of its approach to managing political content on its services in recent memory. This comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been signaling a desire to mend fences with the incoming administration. The changes will affect Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, three of the world’s biggest social media platforms with more than 3 billion users globally.
Elevating Joel Kaplan
Last week, Meta elevated Republican policy executive Joel Kaplan as global affairs head. On Monday, it announced that Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a close friend of Trump, had been elected to its board.
"We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship," Zuckerberg said in a video, acknowledging the role of the recent U.S. elections in his thinking. "They feel like a cultural tipping point, towards once again prioritizing speech."
Trump Welcomes Changes
When asked about the changes at a press conference, Trump welcomed them. "They have come a long way – Meta," he said. "The man (Zuckerberg) was very impressive." When asked if he thought Zuckerberg was responding to his threats, which included a pledge to imprison the CEO, Trump said "probably."
Community Notes
In place of a formal fact-checking program to address dubious claims posted on Meta’s platforms, Zuckerberg plans to implement a system of ‘community notes’ similar to that used on Elon Musk-owned social media platform X. This means users will be able to flag content as false or misleading and other users can then review the post.
Reduced Proactive Scanning for Hate Speech
Meta also will stop proactively scanning for hate speech and other types of rule-breaking, reviewing such posts only in response to user reports. It will focus its automated systems on removing "high-severity violations" like terrorism, child exploitation, scams, and drugs.
Relocating Content Moderation Teams
The company will move teams overseeing the writing and review of content policies out of California to Texas and other U.S. locations, Zuckerberg said. Meta has been working on this shift away from fact-checking for more than a year, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
Employees Left in the Dark
However, Meta has not shared relocation plans with employees, prompting confused posts on the app Blind, which provides a space for employees to share information anonymously. Most of Meta’s U.S. content moderation is already performed outside California, another source told Reuters.
Kaplan Addresses Employees
Kaplan, who appeared on the ‘Fox & Friends’ program on Tuesday morning to address the changes, offered Meta employees only a summary of his public statements in a post on the company’s internal forum Workplace, which was seen by Reuters.
Meta Spokesperson Declines Comment
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on planning for the changes or say which specific teams would be leaving California. The spokesperson also declined to cite examples of mistakes or bias on the part of fact-checkers.
Fact-Checking Community Reacts
The demise of the fact-checking program, started in 2016, caught partner organizations by surprise. "We’ve learned the news as everyone has today," AFP said in a statement provided to Reuters. "It’s a hard hit for the fact-checking community and journalism."
"We’re assessing the situation," AFP continued.
International Fact-Checking Network Responds
The head of the International Fact-Checking Network, Angie Drobnic Holan, challenged Zuckerberg’s characterization of its members as biased or censorious. "We’ve always been committed to accuracy and transparency in our work," she said.
"We believe that fact-checking plays a crucial role in promoting democratic values, trust in institutions, and freedom of expression," she continued.
Musk’s X Under Investigation
Meta’s decision to implement Community Notes comes as Musk’s X is already under European Commission investigation over issues including the ‘Community Notes’ system. The Commission began its probe in December 2023, several months after X launched the feature.
EU Digital Services Act
The EU’s Digital Services Act, which came into force in 2023, requires very large online platforms like X and Facebook to tackle illegal content and risks to public security. Any firm found in breach faces a fine worth up to 6% of its global revenue.
Phasing Out Fact-Checking Program
Meta said it would start phasing in Community Notes in the U.S. over the next couple of months and improve the model over the year.
(Note: This article has been edited for clarity and readability, while maintaining the original content and structure.)
