Meta tests fact-check replacement in Latin America

Meta has begun testing a crowdsourced fact-checking system called Community Notes in 16 Spanish-speaking countries across Latin America. The initiative aims to replace the professional fact-checking program that Meta previously ran with partner organizations throughout the region. The crowdsourced notes system, which draws inspiration from Elon Musk's X, is designed to provide context for misleading posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, potentially eliminating the need for the fact-checking program.

Meta has not set a timeline for the full transition, stating that it will occur when the product is proven to be effective. However, during the test period, no notes will be visible to the public, and independent fact-checking will continue as usual. The program is currently available in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Brazil, Meta's largest market, is excluded from the initial rollout. The head of the International Fact-Checking Network expressed deep concern over Meta's decision, stating that the community notes program alone is insufficient for addressing the impact of harmful falsehoods on social media. The announcement comes after a series of right-wing elections in the region, with hard-right conservatives largely opposing fact-checking programs on social media.

Meta's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the end of US fact-checking partnerships and the replacement with Community Notes in March 2022, positioning the shift as a return to free expression. The Oversight Board, a quasi-independent body funded by Meta to review moderation decisions, warned that Community Notes are not a viable replacement for professional fact-checking outside the US, particularly in politically polarized countries during tense elections.

Meta's Oversight Board emphasized that community notes can only be effective when contributors rely on accurate, ethically-produced, fact-checked journalism and other high-quality sources when drafting their notes.