Meta plans to maintain fact-checking program outside the US

Meta announced that it would end its long-running fact-checking program in January 2025. However, it appears that the end of this fact-checking program will only be limited to the United States.

Meta Will Use Fact Checkers Outside the US 'for Now' - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-20/meta-will-keep-its-fact-checkers-outside-of-the-us-for-now

Meta confirms it will keep fact-checkers outside the US 'for now' | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/20/meta-confirms-it-will-keep-fact-checkers-outside-the-us-for-now/

On January 8, 2025, Meta announced that it would stop fact-checking by an independent organization established in 2016 to prevent the spread of misinformation on Facebook, and would move to a community note similar to that of X (formerly Twitter). Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained the reason for abolishing fact-checking as 'It's time to go back to our roots of freedom of expression and giving people a voice on the platform.' It has been pointed out that Meta's change of policy is a change to respond to the Trump administration.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg declares 'returning to the origins of freedom of expression,' announcing the end of fact-checking functionality and a shift to a community note format - GIGAZINE

Immediately after Meta announced the end of fact-checking, it was revealed that there was a sharp increase in Google searches for how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts, making it clear that users were being upset.

After Meta ended independent fact-checking, Google searches for how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts surged - GIGAZINE

'We'll see how it goes as we roll out the new Community Notes over the course of a year,' Meta's head of global operations Nicola Mendelsohn told Bloomberg. 'So, nothing's changed in the rest of the world right now. We continue to work with fact-checkers around the world.' The new Community Notes will be rolled out slowly, so outside the US, fact-checking will continue.

While the plan is for the fact-checking program to remain in place outside the US for the time being, the company said it may eventually expand the community note to other regions.

In addition, since the European Union (EU) has a Digital Services Act (DSA) to curb the spread of false content, if the EU were to abolish fact-checking and move to community notes, Meta could be subject to regulation.