Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has defended the company’s decision to replace fact-checkers on its platform with community notes, citing ideological censorship concerns and a desire to enhance user voice. The change aims to address what Zuckerberg calls “idealogical-based censorship” that he believes is increasingly prevalent.
In an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Zuckerberg explained that Meta faced significant pressure from institutions such as the Biden administration during the COVID-19 pandemic to censor content on ideological grounds. He claims that this led to a backlash against the company’s fact-checking system, which was initially implemented in 2016.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that the initial intention behind the fact-checking system was to combat misinformation, but it quickly became mired in gray areas and accusations of bias among moderators. The pressure on Meta’s content moderation policies has been building over the past decade, with Zuckerberg stating that he believes this is a turning point for the company.
By shifting towards community notes, which are similar to those used by Elon Musk on X, Meta aims to give users more power to share their perspectives and opinions without fear of censorship. However, critics have denounced the move as a step backward for accuracy, with dozens of third-party fact-checking groups signing an open letter expressing their concerns.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-content-moderation-policy-fact-checkers-elon-musk-rogan-2025-1