Meta is ending its fact checking program on Facebook and
on Instagram.
Grady Trimble is breaking down the major changes to the
company's censorship policy.
Meta is announcing major changes that it says will make
Facebook, Instagram and threads places where free speech thrives.
So here they are.
First and foremost, Meta is ending its third party fact
checking program in the United States, instead moving to a
community notes program very similar to what you see on
X right now.
The company is lifting restrictions on certain topics like immigration,
gender identity, and trans issues, and it's increasing political content
for those users who want to see it.
It's also moving its content moderation and safety teams from
California to Texas to avoid political bias in making these
changes.
Meta is acknowledging that too much harmless content has been
censored using its automated systems.
It says there was political bias through that fact checking
process.
Now it's not going to use those automated systems to
monitor for all policy violations, but only to scan for
illegal and what it considers to be high severity violations
like terrorism, child sexual exploitation and scams.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes in a video posted to
Instagram Tuesday morning and in his first and only TV
interview since taking the job met his new head of
global affairs.
Joel Kaplan blamed President Biden and his administration for trying
to control content on social media.
When you have AUS president administration that's pushing for censorship,
it just makes it open season for other governments around
the world that don't even have the protections of the
1st Amendment to really put pressure on U.S.
companies.
We're going to work with President Trump to push back
on that kind of thing around the world.
Mehta also announced it's adding Dana White and two others
to its board.
The UFCCEO is a close friend of president-elect Trump.
So with the addition of White and Kaplan, plus these
changes to content moderation, the company is clearly signalling a
shift to more expression and less censorship on its platforms
in Washington.
Grady.
Trimble.
Fox Business.