Statement Following Meta Eliminating Fact-Checking Program

Today, after Meta announced yesterday it will end its fact-checking program and replace it with a community-driven system, Informing Democracy Managing Director Peter Bondi issued the following statement:

“Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program is a dangerous abdication of responsibility, yet another example of companies and institutions ignoring the threat misinformation poses to our democracy. This won’t just allow bad faith actors to spread lies unchecked on Facebook, but further empowers the election denial movement.

“At a time when our democracy faces persistent threats, all social media platforms have a duty to prevent the spread of misinformation and false conspiracy theories, not enable it. The stakes for our elections—and the future of our country—could not be higher as the election denier movement continues its relentless attacks on democracy.

“With far too many institutions, companies, and platforms ignoring this responsibility, Informing Democracy will continue to serve as a trusted watchdog, monitoring the election denial movement and holding those that spread misinformation accountable.”

Additional Background:

The decision to scale back fact-checking, especially as platforms increasingly recommend political content to users, creates a perfect storm for misinformation to thrive. Informing Democracy’s 2024 review of election officials identified more than 150 officials who spread election conspiracies; Meta flagged and fact-checked many of officials’ conspiracy posts under its previous policy. Without trusted fact-checking systems in place, the election denier movement will only gain momentum, spreading unchecked falsehoods that undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and sow doubt about the results of elections.