Recently, Meta unveiled its plan to alter its content moderation policies, including transitioning from the independent fact-checking process to the community guidelines system. This new approach is similar to X’s ‘Community Notes,’ where users could review and comment on its accuracy, thereby outsourcing content moderation. The company continues its work on simplifying its policies and decreasing the number of mistakes made when removing content.
Mark Zuckerberg pointed out that this move is in reaction to the growing issue of bias in third-party moderation. He said that Meta is returning to the company’s core values of supporting free speech as this change is necessary for countering censorship concerns, especially coming from conservative voices. With the introduction of community notes to replace fact-checkers, Zuckerberg believes that the firm will eliminate bias in content moderation and make content moderation more transparent and user-driven.
Although mixed views have not been received, this proposal measures free speech. Some critics have noted that the approach may lead to creating and distributing toxic content, especially where professionals cannot be hired. However, some conservative personalities have endorsed the change, some considering it the result of years of policies that have sought to center moderation policies that they considered liberal perspectives.
The announcement is made when Meta and others seek to strengthen ties with President-elect Donald Trump and his administration. Trump’s followers, in particular, have condemned Meta’s practice of fact-checking as it deprives conservatives of their right to free speech. Its new head of global affairs, Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican, has led Meta towards new policies.
Zuckerberg stated that the recent elections in the United States were the turning point for Meta’s policies. The company wants to return to the pre- “mission creep” state when content moderation became overly ambitious and caused errors. However, the company promised to keep being vigilant and stick to strict moderation policies regarding high-severity areas such as drugs, terrorism, and child abuse.
Whether a similar moderation model will be applied in other regions when Meta’s new moderation approach is launched in the U.S. remains unknown. In the UK and EU, Meta cannot use independent content verification because of the increased restrictions on regulating the content that is shared online. Some advocacy groups criticized the changes effected by Meta across the globe, stating that it will slow down efforts to address misinformation and hate speech.
Still, according to Zuckerberg, this transition would entail some compromises. Even though the company may get fewer posts that pose harm, it also focuses on decreasing the harmless posts that are mistakenly removed. The change in content moderation is a crucial stage in the discussion about freedom of speech and the requirement for some responsibility on social media.