Meta is abandoning the use of third-party fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram and will replace it with X-style “community ratings,” where feedback on the accuracy of posts is left up to users.
In a video released Tuesday alongside a company blog post, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said “it’s time to return to our roots around free speech.”
Joel Kaplan, who replaces Sir Nick Clegg as head of Meta’s global affairs, wrote that the company’s use of independent moderators was “well-intentioned” but had gone too far.
“Too much innocuous content is censored,” he wrote, adding that Meta “too often hinders the freedom of expression we seek to foster.”
The move to a community rating system will be phased in “US first” over the coming months, the tech giant said – it did not say when or if it will be introduced elsewhere.
The system — which Meta says he’s seen “working on X” — allows people with different viewpoints to agree on notes that add context or clarification to controversial messages.
The company’s blog says it will also “undo mission hijacking” of rules and policies – emphasizing the removal of restrictions on topics such as “immigration, gender and gender identity” – claiming that these have dampened political discussions and debates.
“We are removing a number of restrictions on topics such as immigration, gender identity and gender, which are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate,” the text reads.
“It’s not fair that things can be said on television or in Congress, but not on our platforms.”
The changes come as tech companies and their executives prepare for the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump has previously been a vocal critic of Meta and its approach to content moderation.
He called Facebook an “enemy of the people” in March 2024.
But relations between the two men have since improved: Mr. Zuckerberg dined at Trump’s Florida property at Mar-a-Lago in November.
Meta also donated $1 million to a Trump inauguration fund.
“The recent election also appears to be a cultural shift toward a new emphasis on free speech,” Mr. Zuckerberg said in Tuesday’s video.
Mr Kaplan replacing Sir Nick Clegg – a former Liberal Democrat deputy prime minister – as chairman of the company’s global affairs was also interpreted by many analysts as a signal of the company’s changing approach to moderation and its changing political priorities.
In a statement announcing his resignation on January 2, Sir Nick said his successor was “clearly the right person for the right job at the right time”.
