Meta Scraps Fact-Checking Program Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2025 – Meta’s decision to dismantle its years-long fact-checking program and adopt an X-style approach to content moderation has raised eyebrows, particularly given its timing — just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The move, announced Tuesday, has widely been seen by experts as an effort to mend Meta’s strained relationship with Trump. The former president was removed from Meta’s Facebook in January 2021 after Trump used the platform to fuel the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and spread baseless claims of election fraud.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the shift in a video posted to Facebook, pledging to “get back to [the company’s] roots” and restore free expression on the platform. Zuckerberg cited the recent election as a “cultural tipping point,” adding that governments and legacy media had pressured the company to “censor more and more.”