President Joe Biden criticized Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program, calling it “really shameful” and expressing concern that false information would be spread to millions of people. Biden emphasized the importance of truth and expressed disappointment in the move by the social media giant. This criticism comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom raised concerns about misinformation surrounding wildfires and the need to address disinformation that divides the country.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of the fact-checking program and a shift to a user-driven system similar to “Community Notes.” He also relaxed rules related to political content on Facebook and Instagram. Zuckerberg claimed that Biden administration officials had pressured Facebook staff to remove content, which led to disagreements between the company and the government.
Zuckerberg admitted regret over succumbing to government pressure to remove content about Covid-19 and stated that certain decisions would not be made today with the benefit of hindsight and new information. Meta had donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund after a meeting between Zuckerberg and Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
The White House did not immediately respond to Zuckerberg’s remarks. Biden’s criticism highlights the ongoing debate surrounding social media companies, disinformation, and government interference in content moderation.
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