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By Theo Burman and Michael D. Carroll
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Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook will roll back a number of its censorship policies to become a free speech platform.
The Meta CEO said he would get rid of the social media platform's fact-checkers and replace them with a community notes system similar to the one used by Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.
"The recent elections feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech," he told Fox & Friends on Tuesday.
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"So 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 added that fact-checkers "have just been too politically biased, and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S."
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Why It Matters
Meta is one of the largest social media companies in the world, and has frequently set the norm for how platforms regulate and fact-check content.
Zuckerberg's policy move is a drastic change from Meta's previous approach of restricting certain types of language and topics.
The acknowledgment that Meta's fact-checking is "biased" will also be seen as a big win for some of Zuckerberg's most vocal critics.
What To Know
Zuckerberg said on Tuesday that he intended to implement "major changes to its censorship policy," including removing fact-checkers and replacing them with a community notes system.
He said that Meta platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram, would no longer apply restrictions on politically sensitive topics, such as immigration and gender, describing the regulations as "out of touch with mainstream discourse."
He also appeared to condemn the use of regulations to block debate, reflecting an increasingly pro-free speech attitude in Silicon Valley over recent years.
"What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas, and it's gone too far," he said.
"So I want to make sure that people can share their beliefs and experiences on our platforms."
Who is Joel Kaplan?
Facebook announced the prominent Republican Joel Kaplan as its new president of global affairs earlier this month, replacing former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.
Kaplan was the White House deputy chief of staff under President George W. Bush, and has pushed against restrictions on politically sensitive content.
Announcing his decision to stand down, Clegg wrote: "As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on from my role as President, Global Affairs at Meta.
"Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time - ideally placed to shape the company's strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve."
The replacement of Clegg with a staunch conservative signals the company's efforts to align itself more closely with the incoming Trump administration and to mend strained relations.
What People Are Saying
Piers Morgan reacted to Zuckerberg's statement, writing on X: "Wow... this is amazing... Mark Zuckerberg announcing a complete U-turn on all woke censorship & cancel culture bulls***.. good for you Mark Zuckerberg and good for Elon Musk who has led the charge on free speech."
Aaron Bastani, a political commentator, wrote on X: "This is utterly extraordinary - as Zuckerberg announces changes to Meta censorship policies. Community notes replace 'fact checkers' while Zuckerberg lambasts legacy media. You sometimes hear the claim that elections don't matter. Really?"
What Happens Next
The new policies will be rolled out throughout 2025.
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