Huge problems with axing fact-checkers, Meta oversight board says

The co-chair of the independent body that reviews Facebook and Instagram has said she is “very concerned” about sweeping changes to what content is allowed on the platforms and how its moderated.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, from Meta’s oversight board, told the BBC she welcomed aspects of the shake-up, which will see users decide about the accuracy of posts via X-style “community notes”.

However, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said there were “huge problems” with what had been announced, including the potential impact on the LGBTQ+ community, as well as gender and trans rights.

“We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm, so we will be watching that space very carefully,” she added.

In a video posted, external alongside a blog post by the company on Tuesday, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was motivated by “getting back to our roots around free expression”.

He said third-party fact-checkers currently used by the firm were “too politically biased”, meaning too many users were being “censored”.

However, the journalist Maria Ressa – who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 – said the suggestion the change would promote free speech was “completely wrong”, telling the AFP news agency the decision meant there were “extremely dangerous times ahead” for social media users and democracy.

“Only if you’re profit driven can you claim that; only if you want power and money can you claim that”, said Ms Ressa, who co-founded the Rappler news site in the Philippines.