Meta’s Fact-Checking Program Comes to an End, but Advertiser Spend Remains Strong

Meta has announced the end of its fact-checking program, but the company’s CFO, Susan Li, has assured investors that advertiser spend remains strong and the company’s commitment to brand safety remains unchanged. Despite the new measures, CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that the community notes feature that replaced fact-checking is simply the "better" system.

No Impact on Advertiser Spend

Li told investors that Meta hasn’t seen any noticeable impact from the content policy changes on advertiser spend. She also pointed to AI-powered tools as helping businesses maximize the value of their ad spend. Zuckerberg added that the community notes system is more effective than what Meta was doing before, and he believes that the company’s product will get better because of it.

Reasons Behind the Decision

Zuckerberg provided more color around the reasons behind Meta’s fact-checking decision, which only applies to the U.S. for the time being. He stated that he’s not afraid to admit when someone does something that’s better than Meta, and that it’s the company’s job to go and implement the best system. Zuckerberg also pushed back at people’s interpretation of the end of fact-checking as meaning that Meta no longer cares about adding context or combating misinformation.

Meta’s Fact-Checking Decision: A Copycat Move?

Meta’s move to directly rip off X’s idea as its fact-checking replacement has raised eyebrows. The company has a long history of copying ideas from its competition, as seen in its adoption of the concept of Stories from Snap. Zuckerberg has even admitted to copying ideas in the past, stating that Facebook had "certainly adapted" other features that competitors had led in.

Reaction to the Decision

The decision to end fact-checking has sparked a lot of reaction on social media, with many people expressing their opinions on the matter. While some have praised Zuckerberg’s decision, others have criticized the move, with many focusing on the executive himself. The timing of the decision, with Trump coming into power and Republicans’ long-held concerns about censorship on social media, has also raised questions about the motivations behind the move.

Conclusion

Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program has been met with a mix of reactions, but the company’s commitment to brand safety remains unchanged. While the move has raised questions about the company’s motivations, Zuckerberg believes that the community notes system is more effective and will ultimately benefit the company’s product.