Meta’s Move to End Fact-Checking Is Wrong and Dangerous

Meta has announced it will end its third-party fact-checking program, opting for a “community note” model where users can dispute the accuracy of the content posted on the social media network. The announcement was made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who tied the move to the recent election, and said fact-checking had led to “too much censorship.”

In response, Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert issued the following statement:

“Asking users to fact-check themselves is tantamount to Meta saying the truth doesn’t matter. Misinformation will flow more freely with this policy change, as we cannot assume that corrections will be made when false information proliferates. The American people deserve accurate information about our elections, health risks, the environment, and much more. We condemn this irresponsible move and the harm it will likely contribute to our discourse.”