Meta removing fact checking will have ‘catastrophic consequences’ – disinformation expert
Experts are concerned changes to content moderation and an end to third-party fact checking on social media platform Meta will leave users open to abuse and disinformation.
Chief executive of the company which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, Mark Zuckerberg, announced a number of big changes on Tuesday which would significantly alter the way content is moderated, including getting rid of fact checkers and replacing them with user-generated “community notes,” similar to Elon Musk’s platform X.
Zuckerberg himself acknowledged a “tradeoff” in the new policy, noting more harmful content would appear on the platform as a result.
Community notes will allow users to add context and corrections, rather than allowing subject matter experts working as part of certified, regulated agencies to check and flag false information.
Researcher for the now wound-up Disinformation Project, Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, said it would be catastrophic for countries outside the US.
“To take away fact checking will have – and I want to say this very, very clearly – catastrophic consequences in Meta’s largest markets which are outside the US, in countries like India and the Philippines, where the platform has been historically associated with significant offline violence.”
The Daily Blog has had many posts (usually ones critical of Israel) challenged and removed by Facebook’s fact check policy so we know first hand the ease with which that process has been weaponised, but dumping Fact Checkers altogether to create a mob editorial committee so that social media hate algorithms become the de facto voice of truth is dangerously unhinged at a time when Social Media and excruciating loneliness is corroding actual reality alongside Democratic Institutions that require good faith citizens instead of bitter cynical patriots.
The ease with which full blown conspiracy theories will be set alongside truth and promoted on platforms with the ubiquity of Facebook will propel polarisation into new extremes.
All the fuses are lit now.
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A good commentary : https://theintercept.com/2025/01/07/facebook-fact-check-mark-zuckerberg-trump/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter
Social media, just like mainstream media, alternate media and independent media, they are all just avenues of information. Two of these avenues are owned by big-money interests. Nonetheless, it is easy to tell who is really peddling disinformation by the lack of verifiable evidence being presented within any given news piece and if you think that disinformation is limited to just social media, then as George Galloway loves to exalt – I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
Fakebook shouldn’t exist full stop
Agreed
I would argue that fact checking is a form of control in that is stifles debate which is much needed.
Established facts by general consensus by all means fact check and challenge, everything else is open to debate.
Challenging the Genocide is Gaza is a perfect example where opinions for genocide are shut down and labeled antisemitic. Time to change the narrative.
Agree, fact checking was always highly politicized. Who checks the checkers? Who pays?
fingrinn – Those so-called “fact-checkers” – are nothing short of misinformation spreaders…
That’s my point
Never mind, the new Facebook moderation criteria still maintains the most important ‘fact checking’ rule- banning questioning why all regime media especially Radio NZ and the NZ Herald 100% support the genocide of the Palestinian people. It couldn’t possibly be for any nefarious reason, could it?
There is no genocide, just Muslims being caught up in what they started.
Muslims have always been happy to use their own people as collateral damage, after all it’s for the cause and Allah lol!
Muslims = eager to be massacred by mad mullahs for 800 years and counting.
Nonce, all human beings see through your lies. Christians know that you want to rape and murder them just like you do Muslims. You will not get away with your bestial murders much longer.
Complete bullshit here folks
Did you read that on facebook ya cock goblin?
Agree, fact checking was always highly politicized. Who checks the checkers? Who pays?
Fingrinn is right. It was as much censorship as fact-checking at its best. At its worst it was inconsistent and subjective. People need to grow up and fact-check for themselves. It is not hard! Here is The Economist’s take on it: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/01/08/mark-zuckerbergs-u-turn-on-fact-checking-is-craven-but-correct?utm_campaign=r.twib-newsletter&utm_medium=email.internal-newsletter.np&utm_source=salesforce-marketing-cloud&utm_term=1/9/2025&utm_id=2028927
I’ve never used Facebook and I never will. Call me a happy Luddite if you must.