Facebook’s algorithm angered founder Mark Zuckerberg when he shared a November 2023 post about his knee surgery and it received little engagement, The Wall Street Journal reports. It was this experience that led to the Meta CEO’s Jan. 7 announcement that the platform will divest from a centralized fact-checking process, according to the newspaper. “We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said. At the time of Zuckerberg’s surgery post, all health-related content on the platform was being throttled to prevent the spread of incorrect information. Now Meta joins Elon Musk’s X in leaving the fact-checking process up to the platform’s users, which has increased fears that Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will be weaponized to sow discontent. Meta unveiled a reinforced fact-checking system during President-elect Donald Trump’s first presidency. Now, as the Zuckerberg joins other Silicon Valley billionaires in cozying up to Trump, the change of policy appears to further cement Zuckerberg’s desire to build stronger ties with his incoming administration.
