Social media giant Meta, which has witnessed some major policy overhauls as it looks to align with Trump administration, still seems very careful about changes outside the US. After facing heavy criticism for ending third-party fact-checking on its platforms, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company has clarified that the change applies only in the United States, with no effect outside the country. According to a Bloomberg report, Meta Platforms’ head of global business, Nicola Mendelsohn, confirmed the same during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Now it’s clear that while Meta will evaluate the results or consequences of modifying or ending such practices within the US, it will continue to uphold its international fact-checking arrangements in other countries. Meta seems to be taking a gradual approach to changing its policies. Nicola Mendelsohn stated that the company will continue to work with fact-checkers globally as it moves forward with its plans.
Earlier this year, in a rush to align with the new regime in the US, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads announced that it had decided to replace its fact-checkers with a community notes system, similar to Elon Musk’s X. Notably, the fact-checking program had been part of Meta’s family of apps for nearly a decade – it was initially introduced after the 2016 US elections and aimed to address concerns about misinformation spreading on social media.
While the regime shift in the country is obviously a major spark behind the step, Meta’s executives have also expressed frustration with the results of the fact-checking system. They believe the system is not fully fair, as it is filled with bias and inaccuracies. Not only that, but the third-party fact-checking program was also frequently criticized by users who felt their posts were unfairly flagged or removed from the platforms.
But in major international markets, like Europe and Asia (particularly India), the scenario is different. For example, the European Union’s Digital Services Act can create difficulties for Meta in changing its policy, which could potentially give more space to misinformation within platforms. In the EU, platforms are subject to severe fines if they don’t manage political disinformation effectively.
Similarly, in India, the government has implemented strict rules for social media companies, forcing them to act more decisively against harmful or misleading content, particularly political disinformation.
Recently, Brazil’s government also raised concerns when Meta announced the fact-checking-related change. However, the social media giant has repeatedly assured Brazil that it would not end fact-checking in the country until it had fully tested the changes in the US. These stricter laws make it harder for Meta to implement sweeping changes to its fact-checking practices in other regions of the world. However, the social media powerhouse recently also axed its DEI initiatives, with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs coming to an end effective immediately.
