Meta will no longer verify the truth of content on Instagram and Facebook through fact-checkers. Instead, the company will rely on “Community Notes” in the future, as announced by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday.
“The fact-checkers were too biased and have done more to erode trust than to build it” Zuckerberg said in a video published on the Meta platforms. “What began as a movement to be more inclusive was increasingly used to silence opinions and exclude people with different ideas, and that’s gone too far.”
Zuckerberg acknowledged that the new approach would likely lead to more unwanted content on the platforms. However, it’s time to “reconnect with the roots of free speech” said the Meta CEO.
The step may also be linked to the upcoming presidency of Donald Trump. Zuckerberg has reportedly been trying to improve his relationship with Trump in recent times.