Meta drops its fact-checking program in the United States

Meta announced on 7 January 2025 the end of its fact-checking program with independent organizations in the United States, in place since 2016, replacing it with a “community notes” system written by users themselves, modeled on X’s. Mark Zuckerberg justified the decision by claiming fact-checkers had made “too many mistakes,” and also announced a relaxation of moderation rules on political topics.

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) rejected the claim that its work amounted to censorship, noting that fact-checkers never removed content: decisions to reduce its distribution were made by Meta itself. For many fact-checking organizations, contracts with the platform were a major source of revenue.

The change came weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration and raised questions about whether it might extend to other markets, where disinformation on Meta’s platforms has had serious consequences.

Sources: Meta (official statement); IFCN, Poynter.