META'S NEW PLAY: CROWD-SOURCED FACT-CHECKING COMES TO FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Meta Platforms Inc., the powerhouse behind Facebook and Instagram, is set to launch a bold experiment in battling misinformation with its crowd-sourced fact-checking program, Community Notes, starting March 18, 2025.

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Drawing inspiration from a ratings system pioneered by Elon Musk’s X, this move marks a pivot from Meta’s traditional fact-checking approach, which it shelved in January amid claims of bias. For everyday users, it’s a fresh twist on navigating the wilds of social media— less top-down control, more community input, and a chance to see how collective wisdom holds up against the flood of online noise.

The decision follows Meta’s exit from its previous fact-checking program, a network of over 100 organizations spanning 60 languages that kicked off in 2016 after criticism over “fake news” during Donald Trump’s first election. CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the old system “politically biased” earlier this year, echoing conservative critiques—a stance that stunned media experts who saw it as a lifeline against viral falsehoods. Now, Community Notes steps in, promising a user-driven alternative where contributors rate and annotate posts, with notes only going live if a diverse range of viewpoints agrees. Meta says it won’t meddle in what’s flagged or written, and unlike before, flagged posts won’t see their reach throttled—visibility stays intact.