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Meta Scraps U.S. Fact-Checking Program Ahead of Trump Administration’s Return

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Meta Platforms (META.O) has announced the discontinuation of its fact-checking program in the U.S. and a reduction in its restrictions on controversial topics such as immigration and gender identity. This move, which represents a significant shift in Meta’s approach to political content, comes as the company adjusts to the expected return of President-elect Donald Trump to office.

The decision is seen as a response to conservative criticism, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasized the importance of returning to the company’s roots in promoting free expression. Meta will instead adopt a “community notes” system, which allows users to contribute to content moderation, similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s X platform. In addition, Meta will scale back its proactive efforts to detect and remove rule-breaking content, focusing its automated systems on high-severity violations like terrorism, child exploitation, and fraud.

Meta’s overhaul of its content moderation approach includes the relocation of teams responsible for writing and reviewing content policies from California to Texas and other U.S. locations. These changes are a result of more than a year of discussions within the company, although the specific details of the relocation remain unclear.

The decision to end the fact-checking program, initiated in 2016, has taken its partner organizations by surprise. Critics argue that the shift may facilitate the spread of disinformation, with some claiming it is politically motivated. Meta’s independent Oversight Board expressed support for the move, while fact-checkers and other journalistic organizations expressed concerns about the impact on credibility.

While these changes are initially limited to the U.S. market, Meta has not yet indicated whether similar adjustments will be made in other regions like the European Union, which has stricter tech regulations under its Digital Services Act.

 

Meta Appoints Joel Kaplan as Chief Global Affairs Officer, Replacing Nick Clegg

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Meta Platforms has named Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican and long-time executive at the company, as its new Chief Global Affairs Officer, replacing Nick Clegg. The leadership change comes as Meta navigates its relationship with President-elect Donald Trump, who has criticized the company’s handling of political content and threatened legal actions against its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Nick Clegg, who joined Meta in 2018 after serving as the British deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, announced his decision to step down from his role on social media. Clegg stated, “Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time—ideally placed to shape the company’s strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve.”

Kaplan’s Background and Controversies

Kaplan, who has been with Meta since 2011, previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy under former Republican President George W. Bush. During his tenure at Meta, Kaplan has been a controversial figure. He has faced accusations of promoting a conservative agenda while advocating for political neutrality. Internal company documents leaked by a whistleblower in 2021 revealed claims that Kaplan had influenced Meta’s content moderation policies to favor Republican political figures, a charge the company has denied.

Kaplan’s attendance at a Senate hearing in 2018 supporting Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual assault, further fueled employee discontent. Meta later admitted to “mistakes handling the events” surrounding Kaplan’s public stance.

Despite these controversies, Kaplan is seen as a strategic choice to lead Meta’s global policy and communications teams as the company works to align its approach with evolving political expectations. Kevin Martin, another Meta executive with Republican ties, will succeed Kaplan as head of global policy.

Meta’s Relationship with the Incoming Trump Administration

The leadership transition coincides with Meta’s efforts to mend relations with President-elect Trump following years of strained interactions. Trump, who was banned from Meta’s platforms in 2021 after the Capitol riots, has accused the company of bias against conservatives and suppressing content critical of Joe Biden during the 2020 election.

Since Trump’s election victory in November, Meta has taken steps to improve its standing with the incoming administration. The company has donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, breaking from its previous practices, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly expressed regret over content moderation decisions that alienated conservative users.

Meta’s overtures appear to have softened tensions, with Trump no longer publicly targeting the company as aggressively as in the past. However, critics argue that these moves raise questions about Meta’s commitment to unbiased content moderation and its broader influence on political discourse.

The Road Ahead for Meta

Kaplan’s appointment signals a strategic pivot as Meta faces heightened scrutiny over its role in shaping public opinion and its policies surrounding political content. The company will likely face pressure to balance the expectations of conservative political leaders, internal employee concerns, and the broader public’s demand for transparent and equitable content governance.