News Brief
Indian Fact-Checkers Fear Fallout As Meta Announces Move Away From Third-Party 'Fact-Checking' To X-Style Community Notes
Facebook/Meta
Meta’s decision to terminate its third-party fact-checking programme in the United States, a move perceived as aligning with the political shift under the Trump administration, has sent ripples of concern through fact-checking organisations in India.
Many fact-checking entities that have emerged in India in recent years are heavily reliant on funding from Meta.
The potential extension of the company’s US policy shift to India raises fears of operational challenges, with some entities possibly facing closure.
“This is possibly the biggest existential threat many fact checkers will have to contend with,” a senior executive from a fact-checking organisation was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
Earlier this week, Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a slew of major content-related changes to Meta platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Key among them was the discontinuation of Meta’s third-party fact-checking programme in the US, transitioning instead to a community-driven model akin to X’s Community Notes.
“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said in a video.
“More specifically, here’s what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the US," he added.
“Just like they do on X, Community Notes will require agreement between people with a range of perspectives to help prevent biased ratings,” Meta said in a blog post.
Although Meta’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking programme currently applies only to the US, Indian fact-checkers speculate that similar changes might soon follow in India as the company realigns to maintain a Trump-friendly approach for the foreseeable future.
For many organisations, Meta’s third-party fact-checking program serves as their sole funding source. Losing this support could force several of them to cease operations.
Additionally, fact-checkers depend heavily on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram to drive traffic to their websites.
The removal of fact-checking content from these platforms could result in a significant drop in website visits.
Meta collaborates with fact-checkers certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to assess the accuracy of posts on its platforms through original reporting.
In India, Meta has 12 such partners, including major publishers like PTI, AFP, India Today Fact Check, and The Quint, as well as several smaller organisatioss.
Currently, it remains uncertain whether Meta will discontinue fact-checking partnerships in India.
Beyond India, the compatibility of such a system with regulations like the EU’s Digital Services Act, which mandates measures against illicit content, also remains in question.
In addition to ending its fact-checking programme in the US, Meta revealed plans to relocate its content moderation team from California to Texas, a move widely seen as an overture to the new Trump administration.
