Meta (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday an end to the company’s third-party fact-checking program that was designed to curb misinformation online. In its place, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, will institute a user-driven model similar to X’s Community Notes, replacing news organizations and outside groups with a model that allows people to add notes and corrections alongside posts that contain misleading information or missing context.
The move highlights intersecting shifts in media, technology and politics as the Biden era comes to an end. Meta is responding to competition from X as popular platforms continue to shun traditional media and as tech industry executives attempt to win favor under a second Trump administration.
In a vertically-shot video that would look right at home on Instagram Reels, Zuckerberg — sporting his drop-shouldered black shirt, flowing curls and gold chain — framed the decision as a corrective antidote to years of over-policing speech.
“So we are going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.”
Zuckerberg introduced the changes with an explicit critique of the media’s handling of fact-checking and of what he described as Meta’s own over-broad content moderation that has led to censorship. Facebook has for years drawn criticisms of bias and speech suppression from conservative figures.
“Fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they have created, especially in the US,” he said in the video.
“We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship.”
With less than two weeks until Trump’s second inauguration, Meta’s new policies arrive with the backdrop of a shifting political landscape. Several tech CEO’s have recently met with Trump, donated to his inaugural fund, or otherwise tried to mend relations as he retakes the White House and Republicans claim a majority in Congress.
For Zuckerberg, the policy moderation move is the latest in a string of decisions that can be seen as corporate repositioning ahead of a regime change in Washington.
Last week, Meta promoted Joel Kaplan, former deputy chief of staff to George W. Bush and one of the most prominent Republicans at the company, to head of its global policy team. Kaplan took over the role from Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister of the UK and leader of the Liberal Democrats. And on Monday, Meta named Trump ally Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to its board of directors.
