Meta’s decision this week to abandon its fact-checking programme, starting from the US, has reportedly triggered alarm bells among several fact-checking organisations. That the move comes as a response to the politics of the new regime in the US has also been apparent.
The social media giant provided more than $100m for outside organisations certified by the International Fact-Checking Network to conduct factchecks on its networks since 2016. According to the Economic Times, In India, Meta works with nearly a dozen fact-checking companies which handle independent cross-checking and verification of content posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The removal of these fact-checkers and moving to a community-based network may have a far more damaging impact in India, experts told the paper.
A report in The Guardian said that several of the partner organisations have confirmed they’re taking a financial hit that will likely lead to fewer employees.
The move comes less than two weeks before Donald Trump's reinstatement as President. Mark Zuckerberg repeated “censorship” concerns while announcing the decision, but PolitiFact pointed out third-party fact-checkers have never had the power to remove content from Meta’s platforms.
Vox noted that Meta’s recent changes coincide with other moves Zuckerberg has made in an apparent attempt “to get into Trump’s good graces, including a personal visit to Mar-a-Lago and the appointment of Dana White, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a Trump ally, to Meta’s board of directors”. It also said that Zuckerberg is far from the only tech CEO to try to build a friendlier relationship with Trump as his second term approaches.
Meanwhile, an editorial in The Indian Express noted on Friday that this has huge implications, “not only for the US, where an antitrust case against Google has shaken Silicon Valley, but also for the rest of the world”.
“Any changes to user experience and safety in Big Tech, which may emerge as a response to the politics and policies of the new regime in Washington DC, are bound to ripple beyond the borders of the US, thanks to the global nature of the platforms that they’ve built. Facebook, for example, has over 3 billion users, most of whom are outside the US, in countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia. For many users, these platforms don’t just serve as a way to connect with other people; they’re sources of news and information, shaping their world views. The danger posed by mis/disinformation cannot be overstated, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic when rumours about vaccines being used by governments to track people contributed to vaccine hesitancy. Musk and his use of X perhaps best exemplify the far-reaching impact of a social media post today: Raking up the years-long ‘grooming gangs’ scandal and calling for the removal of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the UK and throwing his weight behind a right-wing party in Germany, where snap polls are to take place soon, Musk has caused much disquiet across the Atlantic in the first week of 2025 alone.”
Another editorial by Business Standard on Thursday said that the decision was triggered by imminent change in America’s political order. Meta faces antitrust investigation, and President-elect Donald Trump claimed he was “very probably” responsible for Meta initiating the change. Mr Trump has, on multiple occasions, expressed anger at fact checkers.
An editorial in The Tribune said that instead of relying on professional fact-checkers to moderate content, “Meta is going X’s way, that banks on volunteers writing contextual notes to be added below misleading posts. Serious concerns are being raised about the implications of loosening controls. Watchdogs warn of the ripple effects of removing strong guardrails, and how it could enable misinformation to thrive unchecked on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The proliferation of falsehoods and in India’s case, hate speeches as well, not only weakens people’s access to trustworthy information, but also the ability to confront their political leaders.”
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