The "X-ification" phase begins at Meta.
By dispensing with fact-checkers and softening its regulations on "Hate Speech," Meta has clearly defined the direction it wants to take for its platforms.
A well-known social media company with close ties to the new Trump administration is implementing a "community notes" system to combat misinformation while allowing certain expressions of hate to be justified under the concept of "freedom of speech." Its headquarters is being established in Texas and is led by an individual whose estimated worth is in the hundreds of billions of dollars, who also exhibits a sense of style of a younger generation. Despite potential confusion, this is not X; it is Meta.
Meta plans to introduce an innovative approach to content regulation and fact-checking, making a notable reference to X's "community notes." This comparison was explicitly made by Joel Kaplan, who oversees global policy at Meta, in a recent blog post. Both Kaplan and CEO Mark Zuckerberg have adopted the justification of "freedom of speech" to implement significant and troubling changes to the "Hate Speech" policies. In the past week, Meta appointed Dana White, a friend of Trump and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as a new member of its board, while Kaplan was promoted, highlighting his support within Republican circles.
Zuckerberg has embraced the rhetoric of right-wing critics regarding censorship. According to Alexios Matzarlis, a security and trust expert at Cornell University, he has been waiting for Meta to eliminate its fact-checking program but is concerned it might do so at such an overtly political moment. Many have stopped using X since Elon Musk acquired it, facilitating a rise in accounts spreading misinformation. Still, Meta seems committed to this new direction, where Kaplan mentions that too many mistakes were made in attempts to protect freedom of speech.
The focus on "freedom of speech" recalls the rhetoric used by Musk, though in the case of Meta, it seems more a strategy to align with the MAGA movement than a genuine commitment to ethical principles. The company has struggled to counter allegations of bias against the right and has decided to abandon that dilemma. However, the cost of this change could be high, as the elimination of fact-checking is not innocent. While community notes may function within a broader system, the current implementation shows no signs of improvement.
Experts like Alex Mahavedan, director of the MediaWise project at the Poynter Institute, express skepticism about the future repercussions of this approach. The insistence on "freedom of speech" could lead to increased proliferation of misinformation, particularly if Meta does not provide transparency in its methods. At the same time, some critics highlight that Meta's platforms have been havens for misinformation from various sources, and while any change could play a mitigating role, the absence of solid verification may allow many harmful narratives to slip through.
The changes proposed by Meta do not adequately address the bias issues concerning its executives, given that there is no concrete evidence of this supposed partiality against conservatives. This situation underscores the complexity and current tensions in the social media landscape, where the specter of misinformation continues to loom large.