On Tuesday, January 7, social media powerhouse Meta revealed a major shift in its content moderation strategy, including the discontinuation of its third-party fact-checking initiative within the United States.
Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a social media post, “We’re phasing out fact-checkers and introducing community notes, similar to X (formerly Twitter), starting in the United States.” He explained, “Fact-checkers have been overly politically biased and have eroded trust rather than building it, particularly in the US.”
The 40-year-old tech mogul stated, “Recent elections seem to mark a cultural turning point toward prioritizing free speech once again.” Zuckerberg also mentioned that Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, would “streamline” their content policies, removing numerous restrictions on topics like immigration and gender, which he described as “out of sync with mainstream discourse.”
Meta’s announcement echoed criticisms frequently voiced by Republicans and X-owner Elon Musk regarding fact-checking programs, which many conservatives have perceived as a form of censorship.
The policy shift coincided with Zuckerberg’s efforts to rebuild ties with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, including a $1 million contribution to his inauguration fund.
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