Meta will modify its content review policies on Facebook and Instagram, replacing fact-checkers with “community notes” created by users, a model inspired by the system implemented by X.
This was announced on Tuesday by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, who aims to improve his relationship with the elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, after Trump previously criticized him for alleged censorship of right-wing voices on those social networks.
But what does the removal of Meta’s fact-checkers mean? Here’s everything you need to know to understand the platform’s new content review approach.
What are fact-checkers?
Fact-checkers analyze content, evaluate information, and determine its accuracy. This process is carried out independently from Facebook and includes activities like contacting sources, reviewing public data, validating videos and images, among other tasks.
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How censorship has affected users
Meta has faced constant criticism for excessive censorship on its platforms. Automated systems designed to detect policy violations have made mistakes by removing posts that complied with the rules, affecting millions of users. According to Mark Zuckerberg, these errors are mainly due to minor violations detected by these algorithms.
To address this issue, Meta plans to reduce reliance on automated filters, focusing them on serious violations, and using user reports for less significant situations. Additionally, the systems will require a higher level of certainty before removing content, with the goal of minimizing mistakes.
Meta’s fact-checking policies
Fact-checkers have the ability to review and rate public posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, including ads, articles, photos, videos, reels, and text or audio posts, such as:
- Statements related to elections or crisis situations.
- Claims targeting specific ethnic, social, or religious groups.
- Information about the use or effects of drugs.
- Claims about products or jobs that could lead to significant financial losses.
However, fact-checking partners do not evaluate content that lacks verifiable claims or that was true at the time of posting. They also don’t rate content with minor inaccuracies or multimedia alterations made solely for quality or clarity. For example, fact-checkers generally don’t rate the following cases:
- News related to entertainment, sports, or celebrities.
- Incorrectly attributed quotes to historical figures.
- Multimedia content altered for entertainment purposes.
Meta ends fact checking: what changes will there be in content policies?
Meta introduced its fact-checking program almost a decade ago to combat the spread of viral misinformation, including unfounded hoaxes. However, the program has limitations, as ads and direct political speech are exempt from review.
It is important to note that fact-checkers do not remove content or accounts, as these actions only occur if a user violates Meta’s Community Standards. When content is identified as false, Meta reduces its reach, and fact-checkers appropriately label it to warn users.
The announced changes represent a significant shift in how posts, videos, and other online content will be moderated. Although Mark Zuckerberg did not provide specific details about the implementation timeline, he stated that the new policies will simplify content rules and ease restrictions on topics like immigration and gender.
According to Zuckerberg, the new fact-checking system will begin to be implemented in the United States in the coming months.
Removal of Meta’s fact-checkers will alarm advertisers
According to eMarketer’s lead analyst, Jasmine Enberg, the removal of fact-checkers from Mark Zuckerberg’s platforms will excite conservatives, who have often criticized Meta for censoring free speech, but it will alarm many liberals and advertisers, highlighting just how far the entrepreneur is willing to go to win Trump’s approval.
“In a shift largely driven by Trump ally and X owner Elon Musk, third-party fact-checking has fallen out of favor among social media executives. Social platforms have become more political and polarized as misinformation has become a catch-all term for everything from outright lies to viewpoints people disagree with,” she stated.
She added that brand safety remains a key factor in determining where advertisers spend their budgets. Social media, she said, is already a minefield for content many brands deem unsafe, and Meta’s change could exacerbate these issues.
