Meta Drops Fact-Checking in Favor of User Notes

Meta is making a sharp turn away from its long-standing fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Rather than relying on third-party organizations to spot misinformation, the company will start depending on community-driven notes—meaning users themselves point out and label suspicious posts. Meta says this move will reduce the sense of “over-censorship” and return the platform to a freer exchange of ideas.

Observers note this change arrives just as a new White House administration, led by President-elect Donald Trump, prepares to take office. Many conservatives had slammed Meta’s old approach, claiming it muzzled certain viewpoints. Meanwhile, critics fear this open-ended method may let dubious content slip by, relying too heavily on the public to police itself.

Meanwhile, Meta’s decision to bring UFC chief Dana White onto its board signals a push toward bridging gaps with conservative audiences and lessening friction over how content is moderated. The big question is whether the new user-based system can truly keep misinformation in check—or if it will stir fresh debates on what “free expression” really looks like.