Meta's recent decision to relax its content moderation policies in US sparks widespread criticism
Date
1/12/2025 4:30:39 AM
(MENAFN) Meta's recent decision to relax its content moderation policies in the United States has sparked widespread criticism, especially at a time when CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly met with former President Donald trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. An international fact-checking Network raised alarms on Thursday, warning that Meta's move to de-verify posts on facebook and Instagram could lead to real-world harm, contradicting Zuckerberg's claim that content moderation equates to censorship.
Zuckerberg’s announcement about easing content audits has raised concern not only in the U.S. but also in countries like Australia and Brazil. The tech giant CEO argued that fact-checkers are "very politically biased" and that the program has led to excessive oversight. However, the International Fact-Checking Network, which includes AFP and dozens of other global organizations, rejected this claim, stating that the accusation of censorship is incorrect. The network emphasized the importance of fact-checking, highlighting that Facebook pays approximately 80 organizations globally to perform fact-checking on its platform, including on WhatsApp and Instagram.
The network warned that if Meta expands this policy shift globally, it could have severe consequences, particularly in countries vulnerable to misinformation. Such misinformation could threaten political stability, disrupt elections, or even incite violence and genocide. The International Fact-Checking Network cautioned that shutting down the program worldwide would lead to significant real-world damage in many regions. U.S. President Joe Biden criticized Meta’s decision, calling it "truly shameful." He reiterated the importance of truth, saying "truth matters." Similarly, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, defended regulating harmful online content, stating that allowing hate speech and dangerous content on the internet leads to real-world consequences and is not censorship. AFP’s fact-checking system currently operates in 26 languages on Facebook.
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