Meta announced it will cease its fact-checking operations. So, what will happen now? They will rely on their users to leave community notes about the content.
This sounds like a return to the old dream of the Internet. The users together – with vast information at their disposal – will find the truth. But we know this is not how the Internet turned out. We have seen how this dream failed. The internet is too often anything but a utopia of truth-seeking and peaceful co-existence.
We also need to see clearly Meta’s bigger role here. Its new strategy by no means makes it a neutral bystander. Meta’s algorithm will continue to promote hateful, divisive, and often false information. Why? Because angry users stay online longer, view more ads, and generate more revenue for Meta.
The Supreme Court recently decided that laws requiring social media to moderate content violate the First Amendment. With Meta seemingly opting out and states unable to legislate, we, the users, are left to fend for ourselves.
This brings us to the most vulnerable group of users – kids. Kids get much of their news from social media. They are less likely than adults to access trusted news sources directly. This means that those least equipped to judge truth from falsehood will be most affected by Meta’s move away from fact checking.
Meta’s choice affects kids directly, but there are other implications at stake. Meta’s move appears designed to appease the Trump administration. This raises questions about what Meta expects in return. It opposed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. Will the price be no online protection for kids?
We all stand to lose from this move, which will further degrade what truth is and inflame social divisions. But as often happens online, kids stand to lose more than us all.