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It seems as though there are always new tech updates to learn about. Meta’s fact-checking update raises many questions pertaining to the topics of misinformation and non-partisanship. Find out how social media content will be affected below!
How Did Meta’s Fact Checking Work?
Meta’s fact-checking program came out in 2016 with the intention of decreasing misinformation online. It came as a result of the heat that Facebook underwent from its users for spreading fake news during the pivotal U.S. presidential election of the same year. Meta’s Transparency Center explained that through the program, non-partisan and third parties that were certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), consistently checked the accuracy of online content. During the company’s focused review, the content would get a rating of “False, Altered, Partly false, Missing context, Satire and True.” By 2023 the fact checking system “expanded to include nearly 100 organizations working in more than 60 languages globally,” according to a statement by Meta.
What Is the Meta Fact Checking Update?
On Tuesday, January 7, 2025 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a video announcement on Meta’s official website that the newest update would put an end to Meta’s fact-checking system. Instead of its fact-checkers program, there will now be “Community Notes.” Mark personally took a page out of Elon Musk‘s book when it comes to how to regulate social media. The CEO compared his new approach to Elon’s version of it on X.
Meta said it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with community notes written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s X. Here's what to know. pic.twitter.com/iPfkqc1lWP
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 7, 2025
Why Did Meta Make the Update?
Mark’s reasoning behind the 180-degree move was the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Mark explained his beliefs in the video: “The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech. After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy. We tried in good faith to address those concerns without becoming the arbiters of truth. But the fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the U.S.”
How Is Facebook and Instagram Going to Change?
Both platforms will now allow more content to be spread online pertaining to hot-button issues that include gender and immigration. The new setup will invite users to join in on the conversation as contributors and they will themselves rate content, request more information and call out misleading posts. In an attempt to prevent biased views, users with diverse perspectives have to agree on their rating.
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