Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Implications of Meta’s Fact-Checking Exit
Meta | Jan 8, 2025
Image: Freepik
Meta is Ending Its Robust Fact Checking Program to Prepare for Trump's Administration - Here's What It Means
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder Chair CEO of Meta posted a surreal video announcing the end of its professional fact-checking program (or was it simply an AI deepfake!). This means that on Facebook (Meta), Instagram, and Threads instead of having expert content moderators who work to remove toxic content, Meta will be using a crowdsourced approach called 'Community Notes' (similar to X) where users can add context/comments to posts. Meta will also loosen restrictions on controversial topics like gender identity and immigration that are often censored.
See: Kevin O’Leary’s TikTok Bid – Privacy and Innovation
Why the sudden change? Well in the video below Zuckerberg is prioritizing free expression and decentralized governance, however for many such drastic move looks more like a strategic decision to align with incoming President-elect Donald Trump and his administration's political interests and to reduce operational costs.
For Canadians, the sudden exit from fact checking is taking place as Meta continues to block Canadian news content in defiance of Canada’s Online News Act (Bill C-18). Combined, these decisions raise legitimate concerns about the potential of spreading misinformation and eroding informational trust on the platforms.
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Why Meta is Ending Fact Checking
Zuckerberg argues that 'fact checkers' are by nature politically biased, harming user trust (sound like a page from you know who?). He goes on to say that a crowdsourced approach is a more democratic way to correct misinformation.
Critics of such a community note system say that it's often slower and less reliable than a robust internal content moderation program, and they fear that misinformation could go viral before users add any corrections.
See: Meta’s Vision to Swarm Facebook With AI Users
After Elon Musk introduced 'Community Notes' on , hate speech increased by 50% and transphobic slurs rose by 62%. Advertisers of course didn't like their brands being associated with such toxic negativity and pulled back on spending, reducing ad revenue dollars and reputation.
Concurrent to this, Meta will also be relaxing content moderation rules to promote free speech. So fewer posts will be removed even if they are about sensitive topics or politically divisive issues that could spur hat speeches and conspiracy theories.
Likely Results of Meta’s Changes
Without fact-checkers, false and misinformation will spread faster than today and be harder to counter. Viral conspiracy theories and harmful posts will only increase. Such misinformation can cause harm in real life like encouraging violence or distrust of public institutions. Lies about health, elections or even immigration could have serious consequences.
As trust on Meta's platforms erode, many users will seek alternatives and safe havens that prioritize verified information. Different competing platforms like TikTok or decentralized networks like Mastodon could attract more users, if they offer stricter content moderation.
See: Chatham House: Global Digital Platform Regulation Insights
Governments may be forced to increase regulations to hold platforms accountable for spreading misinformation (similar to the EU's Digital Services Act or Canada's Bill C-18).
Closing Thoughts
Will other platforms follow Meta’s lead or seize the opportunity to differentiate themselves as trusted sources? The credibility of access to trustworthy information is at risk or does the crowd know best? Combined with Meta recently announcing their plans to release more AI personas into the wild (who hallucinate with wrong and unchecked content) we can only conclude with the caveat 'READER BEWARE', (and parents of young readers beware) vulnerable folks stay safe.
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