The death of truth in Social Media

Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to halt fact-checking, disguised as protecting free speech, is a clever tactic to appease his most vocal conservative opponents.

However, this diversion tactic only serves to obscure the true issue at hand: his company’s complicity in amplifying, recommending, and targeting content that fuels extremism, illegal activities, and even political violence.

Numerous studies conducted by independent researchers, civil society groups, and Meta’s own internal researchers have consistently revealed that content promoting hatred, misinformation, and extremism consistently outperforms more balanced and nuanced discourse on major social media platforms.

Zuckerberg’s recent policy changes seem to be a blatant attempt to cater to the whims of former and future President Trump, in exchange for his protection. While it is not uncommon for corporations to seek favor with governments, the brazenness with which Zuckerberg openly admitted to enlisting Trump’s help to pressure global regulators is alarming to anyone who values global democracy.

It is imperative that companies are held accountable, not just for the content they host, but for the deliberate design and backend choices that foster the proliferation of harmful content. Democracy cannot survive without truth, which must be revealed before it’s too late.