[DECODED] What Meta’s decision is all about

It has been a week since Meta Platforms dropped the bombshell that it is ending its fact-checking program in the United States. Mark Zuckerberg blamed fact-checkers, saying that “they have destroyed more trust than they’ve created.”

Journalists and fact-checkers have denounced the move. How could we not? It came as a surprise even to the International Fact-Checking Network, which ensures fact-checkers around the world adhere to rigorous standards of accuracy, transparency, and impartiality.

I talked to Rappler CEO Maria Ressa to discuss the implications of Meta’s announcement.

“Zuckerberg uses the word censorship. I would replace that with safety. So we now have a platform for more than 3.2 billion people around the planet that has just decided that profit’s more important than safety,” Maria said. You can watch the interview here.

Meta’s announcement only covers the US — for now — but as Maria said during our interview, “Where the US goes, it drags the world.”

That’s a worrisome thought for the Philippines, especially as we approach the midterm elections.

Patrick Cruz, one of Rappler’s fact-checkers, summed it up well in his Decoded piece: “Meta’s fact-checking program was the bare minimum the platform could do to safeguard the truth in a space overrun by lies and hate. And now, even that’s gone.”

Before Rappler established its Forensics Team, which studies online trends and centers around studying disinformation and information operations, I was part of the fact-checking team. During this time, I’ve seen countless accusations targeting fact-checkers and undermining independent reporting, questioning why fact-checking is left to journalists. Attacks, both from the Duterte administration and its supporters, contributed to the growing distrust in independent media.

But journalists exist for a purpose. For all our faults, one thing remains true for every journalist worth their salt: adherence to a set of standards and ethics that others are not obligated to uphold. For example, no fact check gets published until it reaches at least two levels of editing, to ensure accuracy. And if our fact check fails, we need to issue corrections for transparency. It’s all part of the process.

Meta claimed that by ending the fact-checking program and shifting to community notes, there would be “more speech, fewer mistakes.” But how can that be, when reports have shown that such a method fails to adequately respond to false claims? When we’ve seen, time and again, how social media algorithms have aided in the manipulation and erosion of public trust? We’ve seen how lies left unchecked contributed to the outcome of the 2022 elections.

Zuckerberg claimed that the fact-checkers they partnered with — who they have carefully selected and previously described as “independent” —  have been “too politically biased.” But fact-checking is more than just debunking political content.

Last year, Rappler published 458 fact-check articles. Over half of these were about scams, health, or disasters – topics that directly affect public safety.

Zuckerberg’s claim that this move is meant to champion free speech is doubtful. Before this, Meta was already moving away from accountability: it shuttered its social media research tool CrowdTangle, which researchers and journalists like us used to track how narratives spread through its platforms. Reports have noted how its replacement is not as transparent or accessible.

If anything, these developments only signal a worrying trend of tech bros cozying up to incoming US President Donald Trump, potentially to curry favors and evade accountability — from X owner Elon Musk to tech company NVIDIA.

What to expect next? Meta’s fact-checking program remains in the Philippines, but we anticipate more falsehoods, more toxicity, and greater challenges in accessing factual information. That also means more work and responsibility for journalists and fact-checking communities who pledge to continue their efforts to support democracy. – Rappler.com

The Nerve is a data forensics company that enables changemakers to navigate real-world trends and issues through narrative and network investigations. Taking the best of human and machine, we enable partners to unlock powerful insights that shape informed decisions. Composed of a team of data scientists, strategists, award-winning storytellers, and designers, the company is on a mission to deliver data with real-world impact.