Meta replaces fact-checkers with community notes for free expression

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has announced a significant shift in its content moderation approach.

In a January 7 blog post, the company revealed plans to replace third-party fact-checkers with a community notes model, similar to the one implemented by X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk’s leadership.

The decision aims to promote “free expression” by allowing users to have more control over political content and the context provided for posts.

Meta acknowledged that its current systems, developed in response to political and societal pressures, have become too complex and are often prone to mistakes, frustrating users.

The company will now focus its enforcement efforts on “illegal and high-severity violations,” while lifting restrictions on topics that are part of mainstream discourse.

Meta’s move aligns with a broader trend toward decentralising content moderation.

The company believes that empowering the community to determine when posts are potentially misleading or require additional context will be more effective than relying on third-party fact-checkers.

The community-driven approach has already been successful on X, where users from a variety of perspectives help decide what content should be flagged for context.

This change has garnered mixed reactions.

Elon Musk, the CEO of X, expressed support for Meta’s decision, calling it “cool.”

However, US entrepreneur Mark Cuban criticised Meta's motives, suggesting that the company’s shift might be an effort to gain favor with President-elect Donald Trump, a known advocate for free speech.

Cuban also speculated that Meta’s removal of restrictions could benefit its artificial intelligence initiatives, particularly in training AI models using less restricted content.