Jan 22, 2025 | Paid Social

What is Fact-Checking and Why is Meta Removing It?

Fact-checking is vital in maintaining the integrity of information shared across media and online platforms. It is a process that involves verifying facts, statistics, and statements against credible sources to ensure accuracy and prevent the spread of misinformation. This approach has been crucial in combating the proliferation of false or misleading content.

However, in January 2025, Meta announced a significant shift in its approach to fact-checking. The company revealed its decision to discontinue its third-party fact-checking program, which had been in place since 2016, and replace it with a new system known as “Community Notes.”

Why is Meta Making This Change?

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, explained that this decision is part of the company’s broader strategy to promote free speech and reduce instances of perceived over-censorship. Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns about political bias in the previous system and expressed a desire to minimize errors in content moderation.

By transitioning to a community-driven model, Meta aims to empower its users to provide context to posts that may be misleading. Community Notes, which is similar to the system used by X (formerly Twitter), decentralizes fact-checking, relying on collective user input rather than professional fact-checkers to ensure the accuracy of shared information. It is worth noting that this change comes at the turn of the presidency and is a replica of Elon Musk’s monitoring on X. Although Meta has not expressed this is politically motivated, it’s been speculated that this move is to appease the new administration.

How Does “Community Notes” Work?

From Meta:

  • Meta won’t write Community Notes or decide which ones show up. They are written and rated by contributing users. 
  • Just like they do on X, Community Notes will require agreement between people with a range of perspectives to help prevent biased ratings.
  • We intend to be transparent about how different viewpoints inform the Notes displayed in our apps, and are working on the right way to share this information.
  • People can sign up today (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) for the opportunity to be among the first contributors to this program as it becomes available. 

Will Community Notes Affect Paid Ads?

Currently, Community Notes will only be available on organically posted content, not paid content. While the feature allows users to add context to posts they find misleading or false, this functionality is restricted to organic content—posts that are not promoted through paid advertising. 

We are waiting to see how Community Notes will apply to Influencer and creator-sponsored content, but the assumption is, as long it is not boosted or used as advertising through Meta’s advertising platform it can be moderated by Community Notes.

The Wall Street Journal spoke to Lia Haberman, a consultant who teaches social media marketing at the University of California, Los Angeles, who said “I think we’re going to see the disappearance of sponsored content on creator pages,” Haberman said.

The biggest concern and note we see for advertisers is that your paid ads can appear right alongside content that has yet to be removed from the platform but is false or misleading. This leads to an increased risk for brand safety and Meta has yet to provide clarity of guidance on how we can safeguard brands against this change.

Meta has not put out an official statement on how the new system will affect paid ads, but we will be on the lookout for any changes in the future.

We asked Lexi Ramos, our Director, Paid Social what she thought of the changes and she said, “Meta has been tightlipped about how this could impact advertisers on their platform. A big concern for clients is how their brands will appear alongside content that has yet to be flagged by community notes. On the advertiser side, we’re concerned about how the algorithm will change and the inability to rely on Meta’s inventory filters once they move to Community Notes. Will our client’s ads appear alongside content that is not brand-safe? We simply don’t know yet.”

Supporters and Critics Weigh In

Meta’s move has sparked a mix of reactions:

  • Supporters argue that removing professional fact-checkers aligns with free speech principles. They believe that decentralizing the process will reduce the risk of biased content moderation and encourage a more open exchange of ideas.
  • Critics, on the other hand, fear that eliminating professional fact-checking may result in an uptick in misinformation and harmful content. Many question the effectiveness of a community-driven approach, expressing concerns about its ability to accurately identify and address false information.

The policy change has also raised questions about the future of trust and safety on Meta’s platforms, with some apprehensive about the potential consequences for users and advertisers.

What’s Next for Meta?

The rollout of Community Notes will take place over the coming months as Meta phases out its existing fact-checking program. Alongside this initiative, Meta plans to relocate its trust and safety content moderation teams from California to Texas.

As this new system is implemented, the global community of Facebook and Instagram users, along with policymakers and industry experts, will closely monitor its impact. Will Community Notes prove to be a robust solution for combating misinformation, or will it open the floodgates to unchecked falsehoods? Only time will tell.

Evan Matus