Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is ending its fact-checking program in the United States. This change, presented as a gesture in favor of “freedom of expression”, marks a turning point in content moderation policy and is accompanied by measures aimed at strengthening ties with American conservatives.
Meta, the multinational that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, will end its fact-checking program in the United States. This decision announced Tuesday January 7, 2024 by its founder and boss Mark Zuckerberg represents a major setback in its content moderation policy. “We will get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes, similar to X (formerly Twitter), starting in the United States”said Mark Zuckerberg in a message on social networks. According to Mr. Zuckerberg, “auditors have been too politically oriented and have done more to reduce trust than to improve it, particularly in the United States”.
Pleasing Musk and Trump
Meta’s announcement comes as Republicans and the owner of rival social network X, Elon Musk, have repeatedly complained about fact-checking programs, which they liken to censorship. “The recent elections appear to be a cultural tipping point, once again prioritizing freedom of expression.”estimated the boss of Meta. At the same time, the group should review and “simplify” its rules regarding content on all of its platforms and “end a number of limits on topics, such as immigration and gender, that are no longer in mainstream discourse”.
The announcement comes as Mr. Zuckerberg has increased his gestures towards President-elect Donald Trump, notably through a donation of one million dollars for the fund financing the inauguration ceremonies of the mandate, scheduled for January 20. The Republican candidate had been particularly critical of Meta and his boss in recent years, accusing the company of bias and supporting progressive speeches. Donald Trump was suspended from Facebook after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but his account was reactivated in early 2023.
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