Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced a sweeping overhaul of its content moderation policies, including the elimination of its fact-checking program. CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the changes on Tuesday, citing a commitment to restoring free expression and reducing errors in content removal. The move signals a significant ideological pivot for the social media giant, echoing a similar strategy implemented by Elon Musk at X, formerly Twitter.
"We're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms," Zuckerberg said in a video statement. He described the fact-checking system as flawed and politically biased, asserting that it had "destroyed more trust than it created."
Meta's fact-checking program, launched in 2016, was designed to combat misinformation by working with third-party organizations certified by international networks. These partners reviewed flagged content and assigned labels like "False" or "Missing Context," which affected visibility. However, growing criticism of the program, particularly from conservative circles, prompted the company to reevaluate its approach.
Joel Kaplan, Meta's recently appointed Chief of Global Affairs, emphasized the political context of the decision. There's "no question that there has been a change over the last four years. We've got a new administration and a president-elect who are big defenders of free expression," Kaplan told Fox News. The announcement comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, with whom Meta has sought to rebuild ties.
Meta will replace its fact-checking system with "community notes," a user-driven tool similar to the system Musk implemented at X. These notes allow users to collaboratively add context to posts, creating a more decentralized approach to misinformation. The feature will initially launch in the U.S. before expanding globally.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the trade-offs of the new policy, admitting that less harmful content may be flagged as a result. "The reality is this is a tradeoff. It means that we're going to catch less bad stuff, but we'll also reduce the number of innocent people's posts and accounts that we accidentally take down," he said.
The company is also scaling back automated moderation systems to focus exclusively on high-severity violations, such as terrorism, child exploitation, and drug trafficking. Other issues, including controversial topics like immigration and gender identity, will rely on user reports for review. Zuckerberg said that these changes would address the growing problem of over-censorship, which he claimed disproportionately impacted lawful speech.
Meta's content moderation teams, traditionally based in California, will be relocated to Texas and other states to address perceptions of bias. Zuckerberg expressed confidence that the move would "build trust" in the company's ability to fairly oversee its platforms.
The changes reflect a broader ideological shift within Meta's leadership. In a series of recent moves, the company appointed UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White to its board of directors and pledged $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund. Zuckerberg has also praised Musk's approach to content moderation, describing his influence as "constructive and productive."
Meta's decision to dismantle its fact-checking program marks a dramatic reversal of policies that were introduced following allegations of foreign interference during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. At the time, Meta ramped up moderation efforts to address concerns about the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and election meddling. Critics now view this rollback as a concession to political pressure and a retreat from responsibility.
Beyond content moderation, Meta plans to reintroduce more political content into user feeds across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. "For a while, the community asked to see less politics because it was making people stressed, so we stopped recommending these posts," Zuckerberg said. "But it feels like we're in a new era now, and people want to see this content again."
The announcement drew immediate criticism from advocates who argue that the changes could exacerbate the spread of harmful content. However, supporters, particularly within conservative circles, applauded Meta's shift toward free speech.
Zuckerberg hinted at a broader collaboration with the incoming Trump administration to promote free expression globally, positioning Meta as an ally in resisting international censorship. "The only way that we can push back on this global trend is with the support of the U.S. government," he said, alluding to previous tensions with the Biden administration over content regulation.
