Meta has decided to end its long-standing fact-checking program and replace it with a new “community notes” system, as part of a broader shift in its content moderation strategy. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that this change is driven by a focus on free speech and a desire to reduce the number of mistakes made by the company’s previous systems. The new model, which will be similar to X’s Community Notes, aims to empower users to take a more active role in content moderation, replacing the reliance on over 90 third-party fact-checking organizations that had reviewed posts in multiple languages since 2016.
Along with the shift in fact-checking, Meta is making significant changes to its content moderation policies, including an increase in political content appearing in users’ feeds across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Zuckerberg explained that the election season had been a turning point, with the company wanting to move away from government and media pressure for more censorship. This shift aligns with Meta’s goal to simplify its policies, reduce errors, and promote free expression on its platforms, which had been increasingly criticized for overreach in moderation practices.
Zuckerberg admitted that previous content moderation systems had made too many mistakes, causing significant issues for millions of users. In the new approach, automated moderation systems will only target severe violations, with users encouraged to report other types of content. This change is intended to restore trust in Meta’s moderation processes while addressing concerns about censorship and excessive control over speech, which Zuckerberg believes has been a growing issue in recent years.
Meta also announced that it plans to collaborate with the incoming Trump administration to advocate for global free speech, including pushing back against government-imposed censorship. As part of this initiative, the company has reshaped its leadership structure, with notable figures such as UFC’s Dana White and Republican Joel Kaplan joining its board. This new approach reflects Meta’s commitment to a more politically neutral stance and its desire to take a stronger stand on the importance of free expression in the digital age.
