Here’s a fact that doesn’t need checking: Meta is getting rid of its third-party fact-checkers.
The tech giant is following in X’s footsteps by adopting a community-notes model for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
If you’re unfamiliar with community notes, here’s an explanation. In short, users can add context to posts that might contain misinformation or misleading information. Those notes can also be voted on by other users, hence the community aspect.
The announcement, which included a video from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, also mentioned bringing back more political content to users’ timelines and offering more customization to what people see.
It’s the latest page Zuckerberg has taken from his rival Elon Musk’s playbook, writes Business Insider’s Amanda Hoover. From conducting mass layoffs to spending time in Mar-a-Lago, Zuckerberg has been following Musk’s lead more and more.
At its core, though, the news is really about Meta and Zuckerberg appealing to President-elect Donald Trump, writes BI’s Peter Kafka. From what Zuckerberg said — “the recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point” — to how it was delivered — via a segment on Trump’s beloved Fox News — it was all packaged perfectly for the incoming president.
Meta’s CMO Alex Schultz told BI on Tuesday that, while the announced changes bring Zuckerberg “back to the core of what he cares about,” the reelection of Trump, and the shift in “the vibes in America,” influenced its decision.
Trump even seemed to acknowledge as much, saying Zuckerberg was “probably” responding to his previous threats.
(As Peter chronicles in his story, this isn’t the first sign of Zuckerberg looking to gain favor with Trump recently. From adding prominent Trump backer Dana White to Meta’s board to replacing his head of policy with a longtime Republican, the reshaping of Meta is pretty clear.)
Some celebrated the change, having viewed Meta as too restrictive and biased of certain content. Others weren’t as happy, raising concerns over what might populate on feeds. Here’s what some business leaders and lawmakers had to say about it.
One group that was particularly upset: the International Fact-Checking Network. The group convened an emergency meeting of its members following the news. BI’s Pranav Dixit had an exclusive interview with IFCN Director Angie Holan.
Questions still remain
Meta’s changes will be rolled out in the next few months, but there’s still plenty to chew on.
Here are two pressing questions:
What does this mean for users? Beyond the potential politics of the decision, there are still people using these platforms to consider. With billions of active daily users across platforms, that means the impact will be large. Here’s how your feeds might start looking differently. (Hint: You could be getting a lot more viewpoints on your feeds.)
What do advertisers think of this move? While some users might appreciate a more freewheeling approach to their content, advertisers are a different story. X, which Meta largely modeled its new approach after, has had a contentious relationship with advertisers, to put it mildly.
This time, though, it seems like there will be less of a fight. BI’s Lara O’Reilly spoke to industry insiders about the decision. Some might have grumbled about the move, but they don’t seem likely to shift their spending budgets due to Meta’s massive audience.
In his interview with BI, Schultz said Meta will take a different approach than X when it comes to relations with the brands that advertise on their platform, and Facebook would maintain its brand safety tools. “We’re not going out there denigrating our advertisers and putting them in terrible positions,” he said.
