Express view on Meta ditching fact-checking: Huge implications that go beyond the US

Jan 10, 2025 07:25 IST First published on: Jan 10, 2025 at 07:25 IST

Look to Silicon Valley to see how the winds have shifted in the United States since the re-election of Donald Trump. On January 7, two weeks before the inauguration of the second Trump presidency, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced sweeping changes to its fact-checking programme, starting with the US. Describing the recent elections as a “cultural tipping point towards once again prioritising speech”, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a five-minute video that the company’s platforms would switch to a Community Notes model, along the lines of X and would be less restrictive on topics like immigration and gender. This was, he said, a step towards greater freedom of expression — a reiteration of the “anti-censorship” argument frequently made by Elon Musk, owner of X, and a key figure in the incoming administration. Notwithstanding Musk’s monosyllabic response to Zuckerberg’s announcement — “cool” — what is clear is a growing alignment between two of the most influential tech leaders in the world.

This has huge implications, not only for the US, where an antitrust case against Google has shaken Silicon Valley, but also for the rest of the world. Any changes to user experience and safety in Big Tech, which may emerge as a response to the politics and policies of the new regime in Washington DC, are bound to ripple beyond the borders of the US, thanks to the global nature of the platforms that they’ve built. Facebook, for example, has over 3 billion users, most of whom are outside the US, in countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia. For many users, these platforms don’t just serve as a way to connect with other people; they’re sources of news and information, shaping their world views. The danger posed by mis/disinformation cannot be overstated, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic when rumours about vaccines being used by governments to track people contributed to vaccine hesitancy. Musk and his use of X perhaps best exemplify the far-reaching impact of a social media post today: Raking up the years-long “grooming gangs” scandal and calling for the removal of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the UK and throwing his weight behind a right-wing party in Germany, where snap polls are to take place soon, Musk has caused much disquiet across the Atlantic in the first week of 2025 alone.