Meta To Drop Fact-Checking Feature: Concerns Rise Over Misinformation Risks For Australians

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to drop the fact-checking feature from Facebook and Instagram could mean more online harm for Australians, a senator has warned.

Zuckerberg, following X CEO Elon Musk's footsteps, announced a slew of changes on Jan. 7 to the company's moderation policies and practices. Under the new guidelines, the fact-checking program will be replaced by a community-driven system similar to X's community notes, AAP reported.

"We are beginning with rolling out community notes in the [U.S.], and will continue to improve it over the course of the year before expansion to other countries," a Meta spokesperson said.

While this announcement left some users in shock, Musk appeared to be impressed with the move as he wrote "this is cool" on X, referring to the decision.

However, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young believes that it will create an environment for misinformation to thrive.

"It's going to mean a free-for-all on misinformation, disinformation, abuse and trolling," Greens Hanson-Young told ABC radio on Wednesday. "This is a very, very dangerous move at a time when members of the community, parents, young people – women in particular – are increasingly concerned (about) the unsafe environment on these big platforms."

"Those spaces need to be safe and platforms should have a responsibility to do that," Senator Hanson-Young said.

Meta's fact-checking methodology relies heavily on certified journalists who carefully examine social media allegations. The scrutiny is performed by checking a variety of sources and thorough questioning to confirm the information and inspect fraudulent behavior. Whenever a post raises red flags, its reach is dropped on both Facebook and Instagram.

Around 16.65 million Australians are believed to use Facebook monthly, which is 78.2% of the country's internet users aged 16–64.

Political communication expert Dr. Emma Briant told The Guardian that it's particularly concerning for the ordinary citizen.

"With at least 13 billionaires in his new administration, including big tech oligarchs like [Elon] Musk, Trump has sent a powerful message across America's wealthy right-wing elite – now is your time, not theirs," the Monash University associate professor said.

Australia is at loggerheads with tech giants Zuckerberg and Musk after banning children under 16 from accessing social media platforms and requiring digital platforms, including Meta, to pay publishers for using Australian news content.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held his ground firm, stating that the government was ready to oppose any backlash from tech companies or their allies, including former US President Donald Trump. The legislation is part of Australia's efforts to control the operations of big tech to protect its citizens, particularly children, from online harm.