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Science & Tech.
Mahesh

15/01/25 09:54 AM IST

Meta shutting down fact-checkers

In News
  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will get rid of fact-checkers and simplify content policies by removing restrictions on topics as it is “out of touch with mainstream discourse.”
Reasons for setting p fact check unit
  • After the 2016 U.S. presidential election results were out, Meta, then known as Facebook, faced serious backlash for amplifying political posts that helped tilt the election in favour of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
  • To build back its reputation, Facebook roped in content moderators globally and developed technology to filter harmful content. 
  • Meta started its independent fact-checking programme in partnership with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN). Over time, Meta became one of the largest donors to IFCN.
  • Meta worked with fact-checkers to address misinformation on its platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Threads. While the fact-checkers worked on finding misinformation and rating them based on the seriousness of content violation, Meta followed up with action and informed users of the measures it took.
  • Beyond fact-checking, partner organisations worked across Meta’s platforms to carry out research, and rate content on a qualitative scale — false, altered, partly false, missing context, satire, and true.
  • Per IFCN’s ‘State of Fact-Checkers in 2023’ report, income from Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Programme and grants remain fact-checkers’ predominant revenue streams.
  • And 68% of fact-checking organisations have 10 or fewer employees, whereas only 6.6% employ 31 or more people. 
Need for fact checkers
  • Fact-checkers play a vital role in finding false and misleading content promoted on social media platforms by domestic accounts, and at times by foreign regimes.
  • They also played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic by correcting misinformation on social platforms.
  • If the rated content on Meta is false or altered, its distribution across Meta’s apps will be reduced. If key information is missing or the content is satirical, Meta might provide the needed facts.
  • Content rated poorly by a fact-checker may not be suggested to users, and repeat offenders could be hit with penalties such as restricted reach, being unable to monetise their content or turn their content into a news page. 
Other steps taken by Meta
  • Fact-checkers play a vital role in finding false and misleading content promoted on social media platforms by domestic accounts, and at times by foreign regimes.
  • They also played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic by correcting misinformation on social platforms.
  • If the rated content on Meta is false or altered, its distribution across Meta’s apps will be reduced.
  • If key information is missing or the content is satirical, Meta might provide the needed facts.
  • Content rated poorly by a fact-checker may not be suggested to users, and repeat offenders could be hit with penalties such as restricted reach, being unable to monetise their content or turn their content into a news page. 
Community Notes
  • Meta will be moving towards an X platform styled content moderation system called ‘Community Notes’.
  • Under this model, instead of a centralised authority taking action against misinformation, users work together to add additional context that will appear under false or even blatantly illegal content. 
  • It was originally conceived as Birdwatch, where users could add context to posts they see that require more information.
  • Initially launched in 2021, the feature gained prominence in March 2022 when misinformation on the Russia-Ukraine conflict was rife on the platform. 
  • While crowd-sourced fact-checking is seen as a better way of implementing content moderation, Community Notes can also reflect biased majority viewpoints regarding controversial subjects.
  • The feature can also be slow, meaning false or hateful content may go viral long before the specific context is added to clarify the post.
Source- The Hindu

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