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Meta’s fact-checking reversal lets Zuckerberg drop the charade

The company’s decision to abandon fact-checking lets the CEO walk away from a responsibility he never wanted in the first place

    • Under the guise of free speech, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg does not have to worry about whether any of its content is factually correct.
    • Under the guise of free speech, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg does not have to worry about whether any of its content is factually correct. PHOTO: AFP
    Published Wed, Jan 8, 2025 · 04:27 PM

    MARK Zuckerberg’s video announcement on Tuesday (Jan 7) that the company would abandon its fact-checking efforts and loosen moderation marks a stunning reversal of years of promises regarding safety and misinformation.

    As I watched it, I wondered whether Meta Platforms’ public relations (PR) team held off until Tuesday because posting it on Monday – the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection – would have been too on the nose.

    After promoting GOP-ally Joel Kaplan to head of policy and appointing Donald Trump’s pal Dana White to Meta’s board, this next act to open the floodgates to hate speech means the Maga (Make America Great Again) storming of Menlo Park is just about complete.

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