Huge problems with axing fact-checkers, Meta oversight board says

The co-chair of the independent body that reviews Facebook and Instagram said she was “deeply concerned” about sweeping changes to what content is allowed on the platforms and how it is managed.

Hailey Thorning-Schmidt, of Meta’s oversight board, told the BBC she welcomed aspects of the change, which will see users decide the accuracy of posts via X-style “community feedback.”

However, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said there were “huge problems” with what was announced, including the potential impact on the LGBTQ+ community, as well as gender and trans rights.

“We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real harm, so we will be monitoring this space very carefully,” she added.

In a video clip posted In a blog post published by the company on Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the motivation behind the decision was “to return to our roots of freedom of expression.”

He said the third-party fact-checkers the company currently uses are “too politically biased,” meaning too many users are being “censored.”

However, journalist Maria Ressa – the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate – said the suggestion that the change would enhance freedom of expression was “completely wrong”, telling AFP news agency that the decision meant there were “very dangerous times ahead” for social media. Users and democracy

“Only if you’re motivated by profit can you claim it; only if you want power and money can you claim it,” said Ressa, who co-founded the Rappler news site in the Philippines.

The decision raised questions about the survival of the supervisory board’s two co-chairs, Ms. Thorning-Schmidt.

It is funded by Meta and created by its then Head of Global Affairs, Sir Nick Clegg, Who announced his departure from the company Less than a week ago.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt – the former Prime Minister of Denmark – insisted they were needed more than ever.

“That is why it is good to have an oversight board that can discuss this matter in a transparent way with Meta,” she said.

Some have suggested that Sir Nick’s departure – and the fact-checking changes – are an attempt to ingratiate himself with the incoming Trump administration, and catch up to Trump’s reach and influence. Another tech giant, Elon Musk.

Technology journalist and author Kara Swisher told the BBC that this was the “most cynical move” she had seen Zuckerberg make in the “many years” she had been covering him.

“Facebook is doing whatever is in its own self-interest,” she said.

“He wants to kiss Donald Trump, and follow Elon Musk in the act.”

while Activists against online hate speech reacted with dismay at the changeSome freedom of expression advocates welcomed the news.

“Meta’s ad shows the marketplace of ideas in action. Its users want a social media platform that doesn’t suppress political content or employ top-down fact-checkers,” US free speech group FIRE said.

“We hope these changes will lead to less arbitrary moderation decisions and greater freedom of expression on meta platforms.”

Speaking after the changes were announced, Trump said at a press conference that he admired Zuckerberg’s decision and that Meta had “come a long way.”

Asked whether Zuckerberg was “directly responding” to threats made by Trump in the past, the incoming US president replied: “Maybe.”

Zuckerberg acknowledged on Tuesday that there were some risks for the company in changing the strategy.

“This means we’ll catch fewer bad things, but we’ll also cut down on the number of innocent people’s posts and accounts we accidentally delete,” he said in his video message.

X’s move to a more hands-off approach to content moderation has brought about significant change Down with advertisers.

That poses a risk for Meta as well, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at Insider Intelligence.

“Meta’s huge size and powerful advertising platform somewhat insulates it from the exodus of X-like users and advertisers,” she told the BBC.

“But brand safety remains a key factor in determining where advertisers spend their budgets — any significant decline in engagement could hurt Meta’s advertising business, given intense competition for users and ad dollars.”