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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Protesters are deliberately posting false claims on Meta platforms in an attempt to call out its replacement of the fact-checking model with a community-driven system on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a video on Facebook Tuesday, that the switch to the Community Notes-inspired system used by X, formerly Twitter, aims to restore freedom of expression on Meta's platforms because fact-checkers were "too politically biased."
Newsweek has contacted Meta via email for comment.
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Why it Matters
The change feeds into the continuing debate on what freedom of speech looks like on social media platforms and follows the announcement of a change of leadership at the top of Meta, where liberal President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, has been replaced by Republican former deputy White House chief of staff, Joel Kaplan.
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What to Know
Tweets on Threads, also owned by Meta, grew into a trend of posts stating increasingly bizarre falsehoods in an attempt to demonstrate the lack of fact checks, as a reaction to Meta's announcement.
But there was also plenty of evidence of users backing the change.
Following Zuckerberg's announcement, a message was put out by FactCheck.org, explaining that while their partnership with Meta was ending, the U.S. nonprofit "isn't going anywhere."
The post reads: "Our journalists will continue to provide nonpartisan coverage of false and misleading political claims, helping you to sort fact from fiction, just as we have done for more than 20 years."
What the Fact-Check Tweets Are Saying
One user, @erich.withanh wrote on Threads: "Oh, so we're just done with fact-checking? That's pretty rich coming from Mark Zuckerberg, the man who likes dropping puppies off of bridges and who has been banned from all Taco Bell franchises."
He wasn't the only one either.
User @hashpiperdy posted on Threads: "Mark Zuckerberg, dead at 52, says there is no need for fact-checking."
As the trend took shape, more and more people started sharing false information online to make their point. The comments became even more farcical, as user @lobotany_ posted: "Mark Zuckerberg was born in a lab via hardboiled egg."
But not everyone disagrees with Zuckerberg's announcement, and internet users took to Threads to praise the decision.
User @deantwanfitts wrote: "Meta/Facebook is now reversing its assault on free speech. They are no longer under the control of the radical left. This is another win for common sense."
While @erikjjoseph shared a post that reads: "Genuinely confused how any rational person could possibly think getting rid of censorship around free expression is a bad thing lol. I will never understand."
The Impact of Misinformation
Psychiatrist Dr. Rostislav Ignatov, the Chief Medical Officer at The Haven Detox acknowledges that the removal of fact-checking can give people more freedom, but he told Newsweek that this "freedom has risks."
One of his biggest concerns is that people encounter widespread misinformation, which is unchecked, which can increase their anxiety and feelings of uncertainty. This can be even more difficult for those experiencing mental health challenges.
"When people are exposed to conflicting information and exaggerated stories, it's easy to feel confused and unsure about what's true," Dr. Ignatov said. "This can lead to helplessness and a loss of trust—not just in social media, but in other areas like health care, science, and personal relationships."
Dr. Ignatov fears that the lack of fact-checking could also make divisions among society even worse. Instead of gaining a whole range of perspectives, he believes people will "stick to their own bubbles" and their viewpoints will go unchallenged.
"I've seen how this can strain relationships, with patients feeling distant from friends or family because of disagreements fueled by what they see online. Without tools like fact-checking to help filter out false information, these divides can grow even wider," Dr. Ignatov told Newsweek.
"Without proper checks, people may be misled into believing harmful ideas or taking actions that hurt their physical or mental health. I've seen how misinformation can lead people to avoid medical treatments because they trusted false claims they saw online," he continued.
What Next For Meta?
In the past, Zuckerberg has championed liberal causes and even criticized President-elect Donald Trump. But in his latest announcement, he called the 2024 Presidential election a "cultural tipping point."
Meta's new policies will be rolled out on its apps, including Facebook and Instagram, in the U.S. later this year. Facebook is the most popular social media platform globally with more than 3 billion users.
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