Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program has sparked concern among experts and officials. Co-chair Michael McConnell, who sits on the company’s Oversight Board, believes the move is a result of “political pressure” from the new administration.
McConnell expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency surrounding the change in policy, stating he and the board were not informed ahead of time. Meta executives, however, had allegedly briefed Trump officials prior to the announcement.
Zuckerberg cited a need to return to the company’s roots around free expression as the reason for scrapping fact-checking. He argued that relying on users to correct misinformation would be more effective in reducing censorship and “mistakes.”
However, McConnell questioned the efficacy of this new approach, stating there is no magic bullet for combating disinformation. McConnell also criticized Zuckerberg’s strategy, labeling it as having bad optics.
This move comes amid a growing trend of Meta executives aligning themselves with Trump, including a dinner meeting at Mar-a-Lago and a $1 million donation to his inauguration. The appointment of Dana White, a close ally of Trump’s, to the company’s board has also sparked controversy.
Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-board-co-chair-knifes-him-over-maga-makeover