Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is ending its third-party fact-checking programme in the United States.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on social media that the company will replace fact-checkers with ‘Community Notes,’ simplify its policies, and focus on reducing errors.
‘Community Notes,’ similar to those used by Elon Musk’s platform X, allow users to add context to posts.
Zuckerberg noted that this approach has been effective on X, where the community has the power to decide when posts might be misleading and provide additional context. Meta will not write these notes or decide which ones are shown; they will be created and reviewed by users.
This change is needed after years of controversial debates over content, Zuckerberg said in a video message, noting that the most recent US presidential election was a “cultural turning point.”
The move comes as Zuckerberg attempts to improve relations with President-Elect Donald Trump before he takes office.
Trump and his Republican allies have frequently criticised Meta for its fact checking policy - calling it censorship.
Meta will also lift some restrictions on topics such as immigration and gender identity, and will focus on combating severe violations, according to a company statement.
Facebook’s third-party fact-checking programme involved over 80 media outlets globally, which were compensated for their fact-checks on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
