Meta’s decision to end fact-checking program on its platforms in the United States worries experts, who fear that false information will proliferate when this change is implemented in Canada.
What’s more, media outlets are still banned from Facebook, Instagram and Threads in the country.
“Unfortunately, it’s going to be a free-for-all for disinformation in Canada. This is the worst scenario. It was already increasing since Meta blocked information content on its platforms, it can only get worse,” warns digital communications expert Bruno Guglielminetti.
Bruno Guglielminetti, digital communications expert and host of the Mon Carnet podcast.
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According to him, it was only a “matter of time” before the owner of Facebook decided to “put an end to this policy introduced to please many governments” who wanted to fight against disinformation.
“Content moderation has always been a rock in Meta’s shoe, even if it was done by a contractor. It takes a lot of resources and it’s expensive,” continues the host of the digital news podcast My Notebook.
Journalism professor Patrick White of the UQAM media school believes that the news should be taken with a grain of salt, since fact-checking is “a marginal practice that does not provide a concrete solution to disinformation “.
Patrick White, professor of journalism at the UQAM media school
Courtesy photo
Very fallible
To replace its army of verifiers, Meta intends to turn to the same solution that the X network has used since it was bought by Elon Musk: it is the community that will govern itself.
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Elon Musk, CEO of social network X and the richest man in the world according to Forbes
AFP
On
According to Patrick White, this way of doing things is however “very fallible”, since it relies on the goodwill of users.
“Instead of the information experts of the AFP, who have more than 100 years of credibility under their belt, it is ordinary people who are going to do it? What legitimacy does the community have to verify facts?” he asks.
The good graces
The experts consulted by Le Journal agree that the timing chosen for this “fundamental decision” coincides remarkably well with the imminent arrival to power of President Donald Trump.
The big boss of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, has increased his gestures towards President-elect Donald Trump, in particular via a donation of one million dollars for the fund financing the inauguration ceremonies of the mandate, scheduled for January 20.
AFP
“Like the other GAFAM [Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft]Meta wants to show its credentials to the new American administration in order to stay under its radar,” says Mr. Guglielminetti.
