Trump says Meta has ‘come a long way’ after Zuckerberg ended fact-checking on platforms
EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump reacted at Meta’s has decided to end its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms, telling Fox News Digital that the company has “come too far.”
Fox News first reported that Meta finishing his fact-checking program and lifting restrictions on speech to “restore freedom of expression” across its platforms, admitting that its current content moderation practices “have gone too far.”
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said he thought Meta’s “presentation was excellent.”
“They came long waysaid Trump.
Trump’s comments come after CEO Meta Mark Zuckerberg he made the announcement in a video on Tuesday morning, saying his company will “return to our roots and focus on reducing errors, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.”
Meta plans to replace fact-checking with a “Community Notes” model similar to the one used on X.
Meta’s third-party fact-checking program was introduced after the 2016 election and has been used to “manage content” and misinformation on its platforms, largely due to “political pressure,” executives said, but acknowledged that the system “has gone too far.”
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Meta’s chief global policy officer, Joel Kaplan, told Fox News Digital that Meta is also changing some of its own content moderation rules, particularly ones it feels are “too restrictive and don’t allow enough discourse on sensitive topics like immigration, trans issues and gender”.
“We want to make sure that discourse can happen freely on the platform without fear of censorship,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital. “We have the power to change the rules and make them more supportive of free expression. And we’re not just changing the rules, we’re actually changing the way we enforce the rules.”
Kaplan said Meta currently uses automated systems, which he said make “too many mistakes” and remove content “that doesn’t even violate our standards.”
He also said that there are certain things Meta will continue to moderate, such as posts related to terrorism, illegal drugs and child sexual exploitation.
However, as for the timing of the changes, Kaplan told Fox News Digital that the company now has a “real opportunity.”
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“We have a new administration coming in that is far from pressuring companies to censor and [is more] a big supporter of freedom of expression,” Kaplan said, referring to the incoming Trump administration. “It brings us back to the values that Mark founded the company on.”
Ruby Hammer searches for used cars on a Facebook marketplace near her home in Felton, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2024. (Nic Coury / AFP)
Last year, Zuckerberg sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in which he acknowledged that he felt pressure from the Biden administration, especially regarding content about COVID-19 and even topics like satire and humor.
“The thing is, as American companies, when other governments around the world that don’t have our tradition or our First Amendment, when they see the United States government pressuring American companies to take down content, it’s just open season for those governments to do more pressure [on their companies]” Kaplan explained. “We think it’s a real opportunity to work with the Trump administration and to work on free expression at home.”
Kaplan also said Meta sees “opportunities to partner” with the Trump administration, not only on issues of freedom of expression but also in “advancing American business and America’s technological advantage.”
“These are issues of great importance to Meta and our sector,” Kaplan said. “And we’re excited to work with the Trump administration to advance those goals.”
UFC President Dana White and Former President Donald Trump (both Fox News Digital). (Fox News)
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Meanwhile, Meta also said it plans to take a more personalized approach to political content, so users who want to see more posts of that type can do so.
Meta said it would refocus its efforts on enforcing “illegal and serious violations.”
Meanwhile, this week, UFC CEO Dana White, a Trump ally, joined Meta’s board.
“I love social media,” White wrote. “And I’m excited to be a small part of the future of AI and new technologies.”
The former CEO of Microsoft Corp. is also joining the board of Meta. Charlie Songhurst, who has previously worked with the company on AI products, and Exov NV CEO John Elkann. Elkann’s company has stakes in many European companies, including Ferrari NV and the popular Italian football club, Juventus Football Club.
