Meta is ending its fact-checking program

FIRST ON FOX: Goal is over its fact-checking program and the lifting of restrictions on speech to “restore free expression” on the Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms, admitting that its current content moderation practices have “gone too far.”

“We will return to our roots and focus on reducing errors, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” ​​said the Meta CEO. Mark Zuckerberg he said in a video released Tuesday morning. “More specifically, getting rid of fact-checkers and replacing them with X-like Community Notes, starting in the US.”

Meta’s head of global affairs, Joel Kaplan, will be on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning for an exclusive interview to discuss the changes.

Meta’s third-party fact-checking program was launched after the 2016 election and had been used to “manage content” and misinformation on its platforms, largely due to “political pressure “, the executives said, but admitted that the system is “also gone”. away”.

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“We went to independent, third-party fact-checkers,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s become clear that there’s too much political bias in what they choose to fact-check because they basically end up fact-checking everything they see on the platform.”

Kaplan told Fox News Digital that Meta is “doing it completely” and will replace it with a “Community Notes” model similar to what was used at X, formerly Twitter.

“Instead of going to a so-called expert, it relies on the community and people on the platform to offer their own feedback on something they’ve read,” Kaplan explained, noting that if a note gets support from “the widest cross-section of users”, this note can be attached to content for others to see.

“We think it’s a much better approach than relying on so-called experts who bring their own biases to the show,” Kaplan said.

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Kaplan also told Fox News Digital that Meta is changing some of its own content moderation rules, particularly those it feels are “too restrictive and don’t allow enough discourse on sensitive topics like immigration, trans issues and the genre”.

“We want to make sure that speech can happen freely on the platform without fear of censorship,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital. “We have the power to change the rules and make them more supportive of free speech. And we’re not just changing the rules, we’re actually changing the way we enforce them.”

Kaplan said Meta currently uses automated systems, which he said make “too many mistakes” and remove content “that doesn’t even violate our standards.”

He also said that there are some things that Meta will continue to moderate, such as posts related to terrorism, illegal drugs and child sexual exploitation.

But as for the timing of the changes, Kaplan told Fox News Digital that the company has “a real opportunity now.”

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“We have a new administration that is far from pressuring companies to censor and (is more) a big supporter of free speech,” Kaplan said, referring to the incoming Trump administration. “It brings us back to the values ​​Mark founded the company on.”

Last year, Zuckerberg sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in which he admitted that he felt pressure from the Biden administration, especially regarding the content of COVID, and even articles such as satire and humor

“The fact is, as American companies, when other governments around the world that don’t have our tradition or our First Amendment, when they see the U.S. government pressuring American companies to take down content , it’s just open season for those governments to put more pressure (on their companies),” Kaplan explained. “We think it’s a real opportunity to work with the Trump administration and work on free speech at home.”

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Kaplan also said that Meta sees “partnership opportunities” with the Trump administration, not only on issues of free speech, but also on “the promotion of American business and America’s technological advantage.”

“These are matters of great importance to Meta and our industry,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital. “And we’re excited to work with the Trump administration to advance those goals.”

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Meanwhile, Meta also said it plans to take a more personalized approach to political content, so users who want to see more such posts can do so.

Meta said it will refocus its enforcement efforts on “illegal and high-severity violations.”