Meta’s Shift Away from Fact-Checking: A Dangerous Precedent?
benefits for Zuckerberg (though to be clear I think it is a terrible move):
1) Yes, cost cutting,
2) Wins goodwill with an incoming Republican administration and Congress,
3) Allows him to reframe EU and other regulations around the world as
“censorship” and ally with right-wing ideologues in the US (and maybe
Europe) in opposing them.
The first two are expediency; the third is strategic. There might also be,
as others have said, a data-collection and tool-training angle to this, but
when coupled with Zuckerberg’s statement that their AI tools are too blunt
and punish too many users, I am not sure it is a large part of the
decision.
Has it been confirmed that the end of the fact-checking program is
international and not just US? (There has been some confusion on that in
the media here.)
Cheers,
Dean
On Thu, Jan 9, 2025 at 3:03 AM Barrack Otieno via KICTANet <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Greetings listers,
>
> @Kelvin Kariuki <[email protected]> i agree with you it appears
> to be a cost cutting issues considering the legal issues like the ongoing
> court case in Kenya.
>
> Best Regards
>
> On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM Kelvin Kariuki via KICTANet <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The *”We are the Media Now!”* narrative by Elon Musk seems to be more
>> embraced by the masses now than having *”Middle Men”* determine what
>> should or should not be said.
>>
>> Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses, as Cherie has pointed
>> out in the article, but a *50/50 middle ground* with both methods
>> applied in my view will be *most ideal and sustainable.*
>>
>> Or is it just a *cost-cutting move* by Zuckerberg like Elon did with the
>> Twitter Team?
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 9:33 AM David Indeje via KICTANet <
>> [email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Listers,
>>>
>>> Meta’s recent decision to replace its third-party fact-checking program
>>> with a “Community Notes” system has sent shockwaves through the tech world
>>> and raised serious concerns about the future of online discourse.
>>>
>>> While CEO Mark Zuckerberg frames this shift as a return to “foundational
>>> principles of free speech,” critics argue that it prioritizes unchecked
>>> freedom over responsible content moderation.
>>>
>>> This move has significant implications, including:
>>>
>>>
>>> – Increased Risk of Misinformation
>>> – Heightened Concerns Over Hate Speech
>>> – Potential for Political Manipulation
>>>
>>> Cherie Oyier, Programs Officer-Women’s Digital Rights, KICTANet says
>>> this shift away from responsible content moderation poses a serious threat
>>> to the integrity of online discourse and raises critical questions about
>>> the role of technology companies in upholding democratic values.
>>> www.kictanet.or.ke/meta-ditches-fact-checkers-sparks-global-debate-on-free-speech/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Kind Regards,*
>>>
>>> *David Indeje*
>>>
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