Meta Shifts Away from Third-Party Fact-Checking, Embraces Community-Driven Approach
Meta is sunsetting its partnerships with third-party fact-checking organizations, the company announced this week. The move comes as the social media giant rolls out its new “community feedback” feature, now known as “Community Notes,” to more countries and expands the program across its platforms, including Facebook.
From ‘Crowdsourced Fact-Checking’ to ‘Community Notes’
First announced in 2021 as a limited test then called “crowdsourced fact-checking,” Community Notes relies on volunteer contributors, not professional fact-checkers, to identify potentially false or misleading information on the platform. When enough contributors with different viewpoints rate a post as misleading, Meta adds a note to the post that reads, “Independent fact-checkers say this information could mislead people,” along with a link to the relevant fact-check.
Open Participation and Meta’s Rationale
While Meta initially relied on a select group of vetted contributors for the pilot program, participation in Community Notes is now open to any Facebook user who meets the platform’s eligibility criteria.
The company positions this shift away from professional fact-checking as a move toward increased transparency and user empowerment.
“We believe that people should be able to make their own informed decisions about what to read, trust, and share,” Meta wrote in a blog post announcing the change. “That’s why we’re moving away from using ratings from external fact-checking organizations.”
Criticism and Concerns
However, the decision has drawn criticism from some who argue that relying on unpaid volunteers is insufficient to combat the spread of misinformation on the platform.
Critics also point to the potential for bias and manipulation when users with specific agendas or viewpoints can influence the flagging and fact-checking process. While Meta states that the system is designed to surface notes from a diverse range of contributors, concerns remain about the platform’s ability to effectively moderate and curate these contributions at scale.
A New Era of Content Moderation on Meta?
The expansion and increased emphasis on Community Notes mark a significant shift in Meta’s approach to content moderation, placing the onus of identifying and mitigating misinformation largely on its users. The long-term effectiveness and impact of this strategy remain to be seen.
