This is the latest news about Meta Ends US Fact Checking Program. In a significant change that aligns with the goals of incoming President Donald Trump, social media behemoth Meta on Tuesday cut its content moderation policies, including discontinuing its US fact-checking program.
“We’re going to get rid of fact-checkers (that) have just been too politically biassed and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the US,” remarked Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and founder of Meta.
He added that Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, “would use community notes similar to X (formerly Twitter), starting in the US,” instead.
Elon Musk, the owner of X, and Trump’s Republican Party have long complained about fact-checking, which many conservatives view as censorship. Meta’s unexpected announcement echoed these concerns.
They contend that right-wing viewpoints are disproportionately targeted by fact-checking programs, which has prompted legislation to restrict content moderation in states like Florida and Texas.
“Recent elections feel like a cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritising speech” over tolerance, according to Zuckerberg.
The change occurred as the 40-year-old business magnate has been trying to patch things up with Trump since he was elected in November, even contributing $1 million to his inauguration fund.
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For years, Trump has been a scathing critic of Zuckerberg and Meta, claiming that the company is biassed against him. After the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Republican was banned from Facebook; however, the social media platform reinstated his account in early 2023.
In an apparent attempt to deepen their relationship, Zuckerberg and Trump had dinner together at his Mar-a-Lago resort in November.
Last week, Meta appointed former Republican official Joel Kaplan to lead the company’s public affairs department, replacing former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, in yet another recent show of support for the Trump team.
“Too much harmless content gets censored, too many people find themselves wrongly locked up in ‘Facebook jail,'” said Kaplan.
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