Rappler statement on Meta ending fact-check program in the US

We are dismayed by Meta’s decision to end the fact-checking program in the United States and appalled over statements made by Mr. Zuckerberg bad-mouthing fact-checkers. 

Fact-checking and verification is a critical due diligence process that responsible journalists and newsrooms go through each time we publish stories to protect the welfare of audiences. 

This methodology ensures that citizens are equipped with accurate information they need to live their lives better and make informed decisions. 

Allowing manipulative and harmful content to flourish and gain eyeballs in platforms under the guise of “free speech” is opportunistic and puts people’s health, well-being, and safety at risk. 

For as long as Meta retains the fact check program in the Philippines, Rappler intends to continue this engagement, especially during an election year, to protect fellow Filipinos from manipulation and the dangers of disinformation.

What has happened in the US is just the beginning. It is an ominous sign of more perilous times in the fight to preserve and protect our individual agency and shared reality.