Meta ends 3rd-party fact-checking program and returns to free speech.

In 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter and implemented several alterations, including renaming it X and introducing Community Notes, a feature that enables users to verify potentially misleading posts with additional context or fact-checking.

Instead of relying on third-party, independent fact-checking organizations, Meta's model checks for misleading posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently declared that the company will cease collaborating with certain organizations and instead introduce an X-like Community Notes feature. Additionally, Zuckerberg disclosed a set of significant modifications to Meta's moderation policies and practices, aimed at providing users with greater freedom of expression.

Community Notes coming to Meta platforms

Zuckerberg declared on Tuesday that Facebook would cease collaborating with third-party fact-checking organizations. In a video shared on Instagram and Facebook, Zuckerberg stated that the company's content moderation strategy frequently resulted in "censorship."

"In 2016, after Trump's election, the media constantly warned about the dangers of misinformation to democracy. We made an effort to address these concerns without becoming the gatekeepers of truth. However, the fact-checkers have been too biased and have damaged more trust than they have built, particularly in the US."

Zuckerberg announced that Meta will discontinue its partnership-based fact-checking program and implement a community-driven system, similar to X's Community Notes.

Users can collaboratively add context or fact-check potentially misleading tweets through Community Notes on X. When a tweet is flagged for misinformation or lack of context, users can submit notes that provide additional information or correct inaccuracies.

Rewritten sentence: The notes are reviewed by other users who can upvote or downvote the contributions based on their helpfulness and accuracy. If a note receives enough support, it becomes visible beneath the original tweet, offering a balanced view and helping to inform others.

Meta's changes spark backlash from fact-checking community

Independent fact-checkers, however, aren’t happy with the change.

Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network, stated that fact-checking journalism involves adding information and context to controversial claims, debunking hoax content and conspiracy theories, and follows a code of principles that requires nonpartisanship and transparency.

Meta is also reducing censorship

Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to revamp Meta's recommendation algorithm, which decides what content users see, while the company has long limited political content due to user feedback and concerns about social media's influence on beliefs.

"Zuckerberg stated that despite constructing numerous intricate systems to regulate content, the issue with complex systems is that they commit errors. Even if they unintentionally suppress only 1% of posts, that amounts to millions of individuals, and we have reached a stage where the number of errors and censorship is excessive."

Meta will eliminate some content policies on controversial issues, including immigration and gender, and refocus its automated moderation on high-severity violations. The company will now take a more personalized approach to political content, allowing people to see more of it in their feeds if they desire.

Facebook will move its trust and safety and content moderation teams from California to Texas, and Meta, led by Zuckerberg, will work with the incoming Trump administration to promote free speech worldwide, although no specifics were given.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Zuckerberg's announcement on Tuesday aims to loosen the tight moderation on Meta's platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, allowing users to express themselves more freely. This could result in an increase in offensive content, but it comes with the price of greater freedom of expression. Additionally, the introduction of Community Notes empowers users by giving them more control over the content they share, rather than relying on a small group of biased moderators.

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