Meta has stated that it intends to make a complete rollback of all its content moderation policies, including ceasing its US-based third-party fact-checking programs. Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company will rely on community notes, akin to those currently employed by X (formerly Twitter), rather than fact-checkers. Since, in the opinion of Zuckerberg, politically biased fact-checkers have caused more destruction to trust than the creation of it, mostly in the US, the company needs to move in another direction.
It is part of the effort being made by Zuckerberg to get back into good books with the incoming US president-elect, Donald Trump, such as a million-dollar donation to his inauguration fund. Like immigration and gender-based issues, Meta sites like Facebook and Instagram will simplify their content policies and get rid of prohibitive norms on them.
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Trump was permanently banned from Facebook following the events of January 6, 2021, but his account was restored in early 2023. Zuckerberg met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in November to repair the company’s relationship with the country’s next leader.
Meta further endeavored to assure the Trump camp by placing Republican stalwart Joel Kaplan at the helm of public affairs, replacing Nick Clegg. Further, Dana White, president of the UFC and a close Trump confidant was appointed to the Meta board.
Meta will bring all its trust and safety teams from California to the more conservative Texas in a bid to “build trust and reduce anxiety about bias.” The company will also undo its 2021 policy to cut down political content across all its platforms but will give users more power over how much political content they see.