“It has become clear there is too much political bias in what they choose to fact-check because, basically, they get to fact-check whatever they see on the platform,” Kaplan said.
Fact-checking organizations have strongly contested these claims. Many have criticized Meta for abandoning its responsibility to combat misinformation, emphasizing that the program helped ensure accountability in an era of rampant online falsehoods.
Mark Zuckerberg Opens Up on Joe Rogan Podcast: Biden, Trump, and the Future of Tech
A New Direction for Content Moderation
Zuckerberg’s decision comes against the backdrop of scrutiny over Meta’s content moderation practices.
In August 2024, he admitted during a podcast with Joe Rogan that the Biden administration had pressured Meta to censor health-related information during the pandemic, including content about COVID-19 vaccines.
By transitioning to a system similar to Community Notes, Meta aims to crowdsource fact-checking through user contributions. However, critics question whether this approach will adequately address the complexities of misinformation and its impact on public discourse.
The Future of Fact-Checking
As Meta navigates its shift away from third-party partnerships, the broader implications for digital accountability remain uncertain.
