Is it Fake News? Meta is Ending its Fact-Checking Program

You've heard of fake news - the phrase that was coined back in the 1890's to identify fabricated or exaggerated reports in the newspaper. More recently, it had been resurfaced by Donald Trump to try to inform the American people that not everything they read in the news is real.

With so much uncertainty circulating the internet, it has been hard to tell what is fake and what is real. While some articles or headlines may seem harmless, others were spitting out accusations and claims that could easily rile up either political party.

In response, social media platforms such a Meta, formally known as Facebook, implemeted fact-checking. However, that may not last much longer.

What is Meta Fact-Checking?

Meta launched its fact-checking program in 2016 as a direct response to criticism about Facebook's role in spreading misinformation during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

By 2023, the initiative had grown to include nearly 100 organizations fact-checking content in over 60 languages worldwide. The program involved independent fact-checkers reviewing potentially misleading content, with Meta reducing the distribution of posts flagged as false and adding warning labels.

The program had specific limitations from the start, such as exempting speech from politicians from fact-checking. Third-party fact-checkers could label content as 'False,' 'Partly False,' or 'Missing Context,' but they never had the power to remove content directly from Meta's platforms.

Meta to End Fact-Checking

On Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media giant will discontinue its fact-checking program, replacing it with a community-driven system similar to Elon Musk's X platform. This change will initially be implemented in the United States.

In a video statement, Zuckerberg described the 2024 U.S. presidential election as a "cultural tipping point" that has led to a renewed focus on prioritizing free speech. He stated, "We're going to get back to our roots, and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms."

The new system will rely on users to provide context or corrections for potentially misleading posts, similar to X's Community Notes feature. This is a significant change from Meta's previous collaboration with independent fact-checking organizations, which had been in place since 2016.

This policy shift aligns Meta more closely with the approach taken by Elon Musk's X platform and comes as Silicon Valley prepares for the upcoming Trump administration. The decision has drawn immediate praise from Musk, who responded on X by saying, "This is cool".

Why the Change?

Meta is discontinuing its fact-checking program for several reasons. CEO Mark Zuckerberg cited concerns about perceived bias among fact-checkers, claiming that they "destroyed more trust than they have created."

He described the decision as a "return to foundational principles" aimed at enhancing free expression on Meta's platforms. This shift has been influenced by ongoing criticism from conservatives, who have consistently labeled the fact-checking framework as biased in favor of Democrats.

Additionally, Meta found that the third-party fact-checking program did not effectively fulfill its intended purpose; Joel Kaplan, the chief global affairs officer, noted that it "too often became a tool to censor."

User experience concerns also played a role in this decision, as the fact-checking system was seen as intrusive, with labels and reduced distribution affecting content that some users considered legitimate political speech.

Eliminating the program may help reduce operating expenses for Meta. This aligns Meta's approach more closely with competitors like X (formerly Twitter), which employs a community-driven system for moderating content.

Meta plans to replace its fact-checking program with a community notes system, allowing users to provide context or corrections for potentially misleading posts.

Collaboration with Trump

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would collaborate with the incoming Trump administration to promote free speech globally, although he did not provide specific details on how this would be accomplished.

"We're going to work with President Trump to push back on governments around the world that are targeting American companies and seeking to impose censorship," he stated, highlighting a trend of several countries cracking down on certain types of speech on the internet.

Zuckerberg emphasized that the support of the U.S. government is crucial in countering this global movement, noting, "It's been particularly challenging over the past four years when even the U.S. government has pushed for censorship." He added that actions taken against American companies have emboldened foreign governments to intensify their efforts.