Meta has officially announced the termination of its fact-checking program, replacing it with a system akin to Community Notes, as implemented on the platform X. Mark Zuckerberg shared the news in a video statement, citing shifts in the political landscape and a commitment to restoring freedom of speech as the rationale behind the decision.
Amid these changes, observers note Meta’s apparent alignment with Republican political positions. In recent weeks, Zuckerberg has appointed Trump allies to key roles, including UFC President Dana White to the company’s board of directors and Joel Kaplan, who succeeded Nick Clegg as head of global policy.
The Community Notes system will operate based on user input, requiring agreement from representatives of diverse political perspectives to evaluate content. However, experts express doubts about its efficacy: a Washington Post study revealed that ideological divisions among political opponents could hinder consensus, thereby slowing the moderation process.
Zuckerberg stated that Meta plans to relax its policies on sensitive topics such as immigration and gender issues. Nonetheless, the company intends to maintain stringent control over content related to drugs, terrorism, and CSAM.
The fact-checking program, which had been in place since 2016, aimed to combat misinformation, hate speech, and violence. However, Joel Kaplan argued that the program’s well-intentioned goals eventually gave way to political bias, as many reviews targeted legitimate political discourse.
While some experts warn that abandoning independent fact-checking could exacerbate polarization, Meta believes the new approach is better suited to contemporary challenges and fosters a more open platform.
