Under the pretext of freedom of expression, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced the abandonment of restrictions on the Facebook and Instagram platforms. Meta’s decision involves the end of the fact-checking process and the relaxation of measures that limited certain types of content.
Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, at the Harvard2024 graduation ceremony SourceYouTube
Regarding this decision, Maria Ressa, laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that the measure adopted by Meta marks the beginning “extremely dangerous times” for journalism, democracy and social media users.
The American-Filipino journalist pointed out that Mark Zuckerberg’s initiative to relax content moderation on Facebook and Instagram will create a “world without facts” and that this represents “an ideal world for a dictator”.
“It’s about safety” – a wake-up call from a Nobel Laureate
“Mark Zuckerberg claims it’s a free speech issue — but that’s completely wrong. Only if you are guided by profit can you support such a thing; only if you want to power and money you can make such a statement. It’s about safety”said Ressa for AFP.
Ressa, co-founder of the news website Rappler, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, being recognized for “his courageous fight for freedom of speech”. Over time, she has faced multiple criminal charges and investigations as a result of publishing articles critical of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Zuckerberg Claims Fact Checkers Are ‘Too Politically Biased’
Ressa dismissed Mark Zuckerberg’s claims that the fact-checkers had been “too politically biased” and it would be “destroyed more trust than they created”.
“Fact Checkers” (fact-checkers) are organizations or individuals who analyze the information published in various media sources, social networks or other platforms to check whether it is correct, true and based on evidence, their work being essential to combat disinformation and fake news.
“Facebook will allow lies, anger, fear and hatred to affect every user”
“Journalists adhere to a clear set of ethical standards and principles. What Facebook intends to do is ignore these values and allow lies, anger, fear and hatred to affect every user of the platform.”attracted Marie Reesa’s attention.
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and chief executive of Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, announced on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, that third-party fact-checkers in the US will be phased out and replaced with a collective moderation system similar to the feedback system – the feature “community notes” – from rival social platform X (formerly Twitter).
Zuckerberg also noted that Meta will drop several restrictions related to topics such as immigration and gender identity, which he considers irrelevant to current public debates.
Zuckerberg decided to work with Trump to oppose government-imposed censorship
He also said Meta will work with former President Donald Trump to counter pressure from governments around the world targeting American companies and demanding increased censorship.
Meta stated that “no immediate plans” to eliminate fact-checkers from the United States’ foreign business, but the other changes will be implemented globally.
Ressa emphasized that he will do his best to “guarantee integrity of information”: “This is a crucial year for the survival of journalism. We will make every effort to ensure that this happens.”
Facebook accused of incitement to violence and ineffective content control
In October, the human rights organization Amnesty International claimed that authorities in the Philippines were using Facebook to a “brand” young activists, a term that denotes labeling them as “communist rebels” or “terrorists”.
In 2021, former Meta employee Frances Haugen flagged the lack of security controls in non-English speaking markets such as Africa and the Middle East, adding that Facebook was being used by people traffickers and armed groups in Ethiopia.
“I acted as I thought was necessary to save people’s lives, especially in the Global South, where I believe Facebook’s prioritization of profits is putting their lives at risk.”Frances Haugen told the Observer.
At the time, Meta, which operated under the Facebook brand, rejected accusations that it had prioritized profit over safety, saying it “fake” and pointing out that it has invested $13 billion in protecting users.
In 2018, after the massacre of Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar army, Facebook admitted that its platform was used to “causing division and inciting violence offline”.
Three years later, human rights organization Global Witness said Facebook continued to promote content that incited violence against political protesters in Myanmar. In response, Facebook said it was able to proactively detect 99 percent of hateful messages, which were removed from the platform in Myanmar.
