Why in news?

Meta has announced the end of its independent fact-checking program in the US, sparking criticism and debate about tackling misinformation on social media.

In a blog post titled "More Speech, Fewer Mistakes", the company outlined changes to its content moderation strategy, replacing fact-checks by fact-checkers with a Community Notes system, similar to X (formerly Twitter).

This shift impacts content moderation across Meta's platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

What’s in today’s article?

• Meta’s Fact-Checking Initiative: A Brief History
• What Are Community Notes?

Meta’s Fact-Checking Initiative: A Brief History

• Meta’s Fact-Checking Initiative: A Brief History
  • Nine years ago, Meta introduced its independent fact-checking program to combat fake news, later expanding it after reports of Russian disinformation campaigns targeting American voters during the 2016 US presidential election.
  • Fact-checkers certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) reviewed and rated potential misinformation using original reportage, primary sources, public data, and media analyses.
• How the Program Worked
  • Content rated false by IFCN-certified fact-checkers was made less visible to users.
  • A warning label linking to the fact-checker’s article was added below such content to inform users.
• Meta’s Shift in Strategy
  • Meta has now decided to discontinue this approach, criticizing the fact-checking system for being flawed.
  • The company argued that fact-checkers, like everyone else, have biases that influenced their choices about what and how to fact-check.
• IFCN’s Response to Meta’s Criticism
  • The IFCN rejected Meta's claims, asserting that its fact-checkers adhere to a Code of Principles ensuring non-partisanship and transparency.
• Political Pressure and Criticism of Meta’s Decision
  • Experts accused Meta of abandoning fact-checkers under political pressure, especially with US President-elect Donald Trump’s criticism of big tech for allegedly censoring conservatives.
  • Meta’s decision has faced backlash, with concerns about its implications for combating misinformation.

What Are Community Notes?

• About
  • Originally launched as Birdwatch in 2021 on X (formerly Twitter) and expanded under Elon Musk, Community Notes allow users to rate and add context to posts flagged as misleading, missing context, or requiring explanation.
  • Notes include reasoning, source links, and a “Readers added context” tag below the post.
  • Other users can vote on whether the added context should remain or be removed.
• How Community Notes Work on X
  • A Crowdsourced Fact-Checking Model
    • The Community Notes model allows users to add context and facts below posts, visible only if enough contributors vote the notes as helpful.
    • The system improves with increased user participation and diverse perspectives.
  • Contributor Requirements and Process
    • To become a contributor on X, users must have a six-month-old account, a verified phone number, and no rule violations.
    • Initially, contributors rate existing notes as helpful or not and later gain the ability to write their own notes, which are rated by others.
  • Transparency and Accessibility
    • All Community Notes contributions on X are publicly available for download, enabling trend analysis and issue flagging.
  • Meta Adopts a Similar Model
    • Meta’s Community Notes system, launched on January 7 across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is expected to function similarly to X's model.
    • It requires agreement between contributors with diverse viewpoints to minimize bias. Users in the US can now sign up to contribute.
• Challenges with Community Notes
  • Vulnerability to Manipulation
    • Community Notes, being crowdsourced, are susceptible to coordinated manipulation.
    • To mitigate this, X uses a bridging algorithm that displays a note only if it is rated as helpful by users who have disagreed in their past ratings, preventing mass voting by single groups.
  • Ensuring Diverse Perspectives
    • X proactively invites contributors with differing viewpoints via a ‘Needs Your Help’ tab to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in the ratings.
  • Contributor Protections
    • X assigns auto-generated aliases to prevent identification and targeting.
    • Contributors who frequently write low-quality or unhelpful notes are temporarily restricted from adding new ones.
  • Limitations of Community Notes
    • Despite these safeguards, challenges persist. Community Notes are less effective in curbing misinformation that spreads to other platforms.
    • Additionally, their ability to capture the nuance required for fact-checking complex political news has been questioned.