In a landmark decision, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled plans to overhaul Facebook’s content moderation policies by replacing fact-checkers with a community-driven system inspired by Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter. The change will also affect other Meta platforms, including Instagram and Threads, aiming to foster free speech and rebuild trust.
Elon Musk, known for his advocacy of free expression, praised the move, calling it “cool” in a post on X. Explaining the shift, Zuckerberg cited political bias in fact-checking as a key issue. “Fact-checkers have been too politically biased, undermining trust instead of building it,” he stated in a video message. To address this, Meta will introduce a “community notes” feature where users collaboratively provide context to potentially misleading posts.
Meta also plans to relocate its content moderation teams from California to Texas to reduce concerns about political bias, while focusing on illegal activities and severe violations, such as terrorism and child exploitation. Starting in the US, Meta will discontinue its fact-checking partnerships with third parties. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, noted that the X model demonstrates how empowering communities can provide balanced oversight and encourage more open discourse.
Meta has announced plans to ease certain content restrictions while continuing to prioritize addressing illegal activities and serious violations. The company emphasized this shift as a step toward promoting transparency and enhancing free speech across its platforms.
