Meta’s Fact-Checker Pivot Stirs Unease in EU Commission

Zuckerberg has vowed to push back on ‘ever-increasing’ internet laws around the world, including in Europe, where fact-checkers are integral to EU regulation.

Mark Zuckerberg talks about the Orion AR glasses during the Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2024. Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo

The European Commission has reacted with reservation to Meta’s decision to replace fact-checkers in the United States with a new community notes system, sparking a debate about how the tech giant will fare under the European Union’s strict internet controls.

Meta will begin replacing its fact-checkers in the United States with a new “community notes” system similar to the one used on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Jan. 7.