Zuckerberg Announces End to Facebook’s Third-Party Fact-Checking, Admits Model Became a Tool for Censorship

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed a major shift in Facebook’s approach to content moderation, announcing the end of the platform’s third-party fact-checking program. In a video statement released on Tuesday, Zuckerberg acknowledged that the fact-checking model had led to “too much censorship” and admitted that the system had “made too many mistakes,” stifling free expression in the process.

Instead, Meta will adopt a “Community Notes” model, inspired by the approach implemented by Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter). This decision represents a significant departure from Facebook’s earlier strategies, signaling what Zuckerberg called a “return to its roots” with an emphasis on free speech and reduced policy complexity.

“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said in the video.

Major Changes Underway

One of the most notable changes involves relocating Meta’s content moderation team from California to Texas. Zuckerberg believes this move will insulate the team from cultural bias, aligning with the broader strategy of promoting free speech. “As we work to promote free expression, I think that will help build trust to do this work in places where there’s less concern about the bias of our team,” he explained.

In a statement on Tuesday, Meta acknowledged that it had been “over-enforcing our rules” in recent years. “We’ve been limiting legitimate political debate, censoring trivial content, and subjecting too many people to frustrating enforcement actions,” the company admitted. Zuckerberg also highlighted the need for a less restrictive environment, noting that Meta will “allow more speech by lifting restrictions on some topics that are part of mainstream discourse” while focusing enforcement efforts on “illegal and high-severity violations.”

Courting New Alliances

The announcement comes as Meta works to strengthen its relationship with influential figures, including those in President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle. Meta recently appointed three new members to its board of directors, including Dana White, president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The company’s new chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, a former aide to President George W. Bush, expressed optimism about the changes.

“There is a real opportunity here, with President Trump coming into office and his commitment to free expression, for us to get back to those values,” Kaplan told Fox News on Tuesday.

This marks a stark pivot from Meta’s earlier stance. In January 2021, Facebook banned Trump following the Capitol riots, only to reinstate his account two years later. The company’s relationship with Trump has evolved significantly, reflecting a broader shift in its approach to content moderation and political neutrality.

Addressing Legacy Media and Censorship

Zuckerberg also took aim at traditional media outlets, accusing them of pushing for increased censorship on controversial topics like gender and immigration. “Governments and legacy media have pushed to censor more and more,” he said, labeling much of the pressure “clearly political.”

The tech mogul acknowledged past mistakes, including Facebook’s decision to limit distribution of The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. He also admitted that Facebook had succumbed to pressure from the Biden administration to censor COVID-19-related content, including vaccine misinformation, memes, and satire.

“We’ve built a lot of complex systems to moderate content,” Zuckerberg said. “But the problem with complex systems is that they make mistakes. Even if they accidentally censor just 1% of posts, that is millions of people. And we’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship.”

Moving Forward with ‘Community Notes’

Meta’s new Community Notes system will allow users on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to flag potentially misleading content. The platform will also remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender, which Zuckerberg described as being “out of touch with mainstream discourse.”

“What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas,” he said. “It’s gone too far.”

Zuckerberg emphasized that the company’s future efforts will focus on tackling illegal and high-severity violations. By scaling back its content moderation filters, Meta aims to significantly reduce censorship on its platforms.

A Shift Toward Free Expression

Meta’s announcement signals a new era for Facebook and Instagram, where greater emphasis will be placed on fostering open dialogue. Zuckerberg expressed his commitment to ensuring users can share their beliefs and experiences without fear of unwarranted censorship. He also called for cooperation with Trump to “push back on governments around the world” that restrict free speech and hinder innovation, particularly in Europe.

By adopting a simpler and less error-prone content moderation system, Meta hopes to rebuild trust and reaffirm its dedication to free expression. Whether these changes will win back disillusioned users or further ignite debates about the role of social media in shaping public discourse remains to be seen.