Meta is ending its fact-checking program in the United States and replacing it with a “community ratings” system similar to that of Elon Musk-owned X, Facebook’s parent company announced Tuesday.
The Community Notes model will allow users of Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and Threads social media sites to flag posts that are potentially misleading and require more context, rather than placing the onus on independent organizations and experts to fact-check. facts.
“Experts, like everyone else, have their own biases and perspectives. This has been reflected in the choices some have made about what to verify and how… A program intended to inform has too often become a censorship tool,” Meta said.
Meta added that its efforts over the years to manage content on its platforms have expanded “to the point where we are making too many mistakes, frustrating our users and too often hindering the freedom of expression we wish to enable.” .
The company said it will begin phasing out Community Notes in the United States over the coming months and will improve the model over the course of the year.
It will also stop demoting verified content and use a label alerting users to the presence of additional information related to the post, instead of the company’s current method of displaying full-screen warnings that users must click before even consulting the publication.