In a significant policy shift, Meta Platforms has decided to eliminate its U.S. fact-checking operations and relax content moderation on topics such as immigration and gender identity. This move coincides with the impending second term of President-elect Donald Trump, reflecting a response to conservative critiques and an attempt to align with the new administration.

The policy change will impact Meta's major platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—serving over 3 billion users worldwide. This marks one of the most substantial alterations in Meta's approach to managing political discourse on its networks.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about wanting to repair relations with the incoming government, evidenced by recent strategic appointments. Last week, Meta promoted Joel Kaplan, a Republican policy executive, to lead global affairs, and on Monday, announced UFC CEO Dana White, a Trump ally, as a new board member.

"We've reached a point where it's just too many mistakes and too much censorship. It's time to get back to our roots around free expression," Zuckerberg explained in a video statement, connecting the policy shift to the recent elections which he sees as a cultural pivot towards valuing free speech.

President-elect Trump has praised the changes, hinting that Zuckerberg's decisions might be influenced by his previous threats, including promises of legal action against the CEO.

Instead of traditional fact-checking, Meta will adopt a "community notes" system akin to that on Elon Musk's X, allowing users to flag misinformation. Zuckerberg also announced that proactive hate speech monitoring would cease, with content only reviewed upon user complaints, focusing automated systems on severe violations like terrorism and child exploitation.

Operational changes include relocating content policy teams from California to states like Texas, signaling a shift in corporate strategy. This move has drawn criticism from experts like Ross Burley from the Centre for Information Resilience, who argue that it represents a step back in managing disinformation.

The changes are currently slated for the U.S. only, with no similar plans for regions like the European Union, where regulatory oversight is more stringent. The EU's Digital Services Act holds platforms like Meta accountable for content management, with potential fines up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliance. The European Commission is already investigating similar features on Musk's X.

Meta plans to roll out the Community Notes feature in the U.S. in the coming months, aiming to refine the system throughout the year.

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