Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a significant shift in its content moderation approach, discontinuing its fact-checking program in favour of a user-driven system similar to X’s Community Notes.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “It’s time to return to our foundations of free expression,” adding that the existing fact-checking framework had “reached a stage where it has led to too many errors and excessive censorship.”
This change comes as Meta prepares for the upcoming Trump presidency, with Zuckerberg echoing sentiments often voiced by President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters.
The move is likely to result in an increase of “undesirable content” on the platform, as acknowledged by Zuckerberg: “The truth is that this is a trade-off. It implies that we will miss more harmful content, but we will also decrease the instances of mistakenly removing innocent users’ posts and accounts.”
For Scottish businesses relying on social media for digital marketing, this shift could have significant implications. Social media plays a crucial role in Scotland’s digital marketing strategies, driving engagement and brand awareness. The removal of fact-checkers may lead to a more challenging environment for businesses to navigate, potentially impacting their online presence and customer trust.
Scottish SMEs, which are actively transitioning towards digital channels to enhance their market presence, may need to adapt their strategies in light of these changes.
With Meta also allowing more political content and reducing proactive policy violation checks, businesses may need to be more vigilant in managing their online reputation and ensuring the accuracy of information shared on their platforms.
Joel Kaplan, Meta’s newly appointed global policy head, expressed that the company aims to “reverse the mission creep that has made our guidelines overly stringent and susceptible to excessive enforcement.”
This could potentially offer Scottish businesses more freedom in their social media content, but it may also require increased responsibility in self-regulating their online presence, andy may need to reassess their digital marketing strategies in light of these changes.
The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy for Scotland, which aims to reinforce Scotland’s position as a leading digital nation, may also play a crucial role in supporting businesses as they navigate this evolving digital landscape.
