Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced a major shift in policy for Facebook and Instagram, emphasizing freedom of expression. In a video statement, he criticized excessive content moderation, stating that fact-checkers had become politically biased, undermining public trust, especially in the U.S.
Zuckerberg highlighted a need to return to Meta’s roots of enabling open dialogue. He acknowledged past challenges, such as curbing harmful content like terrorism or child exploitation, but admitted that the complex moderation systems made too many errors, affecting millions.
A Cultural Turning Point
The recent U.S. elections and Elon Musk’s influence as X owner have further catalyzed this change. Zuckerberg noted these events as cultural milestones for reprioritizing free speech on Meta platforms. Simplified moderation policies will aim to restore trust and reduce censorship errors.
Meta now plans to collaborate with Donald Trump to prevent governmental overreach in content moderation, addressing past pressures for censorship under prior administrations. Zuckerberg’s statement marks a bold pivot towards a freer digital discourse.