Fri Mar 14 03:24:07 UTC 2025: ## Meta Replaces Fact-Checking Program with Crowd-Sourced System
**SAN FRANCISCO, March 14, 2025** – Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced Thursday it will replace its fact-checking program with a crowd-sourced initiative called Community Notes. This follows the company’s controversial decision in January to end its partnership with third-party fact-checkers, a move criticized by media experts as undermining efforts to combat misinformation.
The new system, launching March 18th in the U.S., will use a rating system similar to that employed by Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). Meta claims this approach will allow for a wider range of perspectives and avoid the perceived political bias that led to the termination of its previous fact-checking program. While Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, cited political bias as the reason for the change, critics argued that it lent credibility to disinformation narratives.
Community Notes will allow users to sign up and contribute to verifying the accuracy of posts. However, notes will only be publicly displayed if contributors with diverse viewpoints largely agree on their assessment. Unlike the previous system where misinformation was flagged and distribution reduced, posts with Community Notes will not face any penalties.
Meta’s fact-checking program, active since December 2016, had partnered with over 100 organizations in more than 60 languages. However, several organizations, including the Associated Press, ended their participation more than a year ago. For now, fact-checking will continue outside the U.S., with Meta indicating plans for a global rollout of Community Notes. The company emphasizes it will not actively decide which posts are reviewed or how they are rated.
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