Meta has announced a transformative shift in how it handles misinformation on its platforms by launching Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. This innovative program allows users to submit notes on posts they find misleading or confusing. The initiative, set to roll out in the United States over the coming months, marks a significant departure from Meta's previous reliance on third-party fact-checking.
Community Notes empower users to write and rate notes, with each note capped at 500 characters and required to include a link. Contributors, not Meta itself, will handle the creation and evaluation of these notes, ensuring adherence to Meta’s Community Standards. To participate, users must be based in the United States, over 18 years old, and possess an account older than six months in good standing. Additionally, they must have a verified phone number or be enrolled in two-factor authentication.
Meta's decision to replace its third-party fact-checking program with Community Notes aligns with the company's strategy to reposition itself in light of the shifting political landscape. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed concerns about political bias within the fact-checking process, stating in a video that fact-checkers were "too politically biased" and had destroyed "more trust than they’ve created."
“For a Community Note to be published on a post, users who normally disagree, based on how they’ve rated Notes in the past, will have to agree that a Note is helpful.”
This new approach fosters a collaborative environment where diverse opinions converge to determine the helpfulness of a note.
“Notes will not be added to content when there is no agreement or when people agree a Note is not helpful.”
Meta also emphasizes transparency in how different viewpoints inform the notes displayed across its apps.
“We intend to be transparent about how different viewpoints inform the Notes displayed in our apps, and are working on the right way to share this information.”
The introduction of Community Notes signifies Meta's commitment to promoting unrestricted speech online while maintaining a balance with user-driven moderation. This shift reflects an effort to enhance user trust and engagement by allowing the community to play an active role in content moderation.
Aisha, a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch, will provide comprehensive coverage of this development. Aisha holds an honors bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. Before joining TechCrunch, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup.
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