{
  "id": 6436513,
  "title": "Meta tests fact-check replacement in Latin America",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/meta-tests-fact-check-replacement-in-latin-america-6436513",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T15:32:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/09/meta-tests-fact-check-replacement-in-latin-america"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Meta announced on Wednesday that it has begun testing Community Notes in 16 Spanish-speaking countries across Latin America, a move intended to supplant the professional fact-checking program it currently runs with partner organizations in the region. The crowdsourced notes system, similar to the one used by Elon Musk's X, aims to provide context for misleading posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, potentially eliminating the need for fact-checking. Meta has not set a timeline for the transition, stating that full rollout will occur once the product is deemed effective. Users in the 16 participating countries can sign up as contributors starting Tuesday, although public notes will not be visible during the test period. Independent fact-checking will continue as usual during this trial phase. Brazil, the region's largest market for Meta's platforms, was excluded from the initial test. Angie Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network, expressed deep concern over Meta's decision, stating that the community notes program alone is insufficient for addressing harmful falsehoods on social media. Recent elections in Latin America have seen a rightward shift, with right-wing parties gaining significant ground. Notable examples include Chile's conservative President Jose Antonio Kast, Peru's right-wing elected leader, and Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei. Meta's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced in 2022 that the company would end its US fact-checking partnerships and replace them with Community Notes, positioning the shift as a return to free expression. The US fact-checking program was shut down three weeks after the notes began appearing publicly. Meta reported that the US program had over 1.4 million contributors, with daily note production outpacing the previous fact-checking program, which had around 70,000 contributors over six months. However, Meta's Oversight Board cautioned in March that Community Notes were not an adequate replacement for professional fact-checking, particularly in politically polarized countries during tense elections. AFP's global news director, Phil Chetwynd, emphasized that AFP's verification teams in Latin America had delivered exceptional work over eight years, praising the quality of their work. He stressed that fact-checking and community notes should complement each other, rather than replace one another, with an emphasis on the quality of the notes rather than their quantity.",
  "summary": "The crowdsourced notes system is designed to supplant checks carried out by accredited newsrooms and fact-checking agencies.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Meta tests fact-check replacement in Latin America",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/meta-tests-fact-check-replacement-in-latin-america",
        "published": "2026-09-09T15:32:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Buenos Aires Times",
        "title": "Meta tests fact-check replacement in Latin America",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/meta-tests-fact-check-replacement-in-latin-america-6468659",
        "published": "2026-09-09T19:35:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}