Meta’s Fact-Checking Decision Prompts Australian PM to Highlight Social Media Risks

The prime minister will stand by the government’s social media ban for under 16s.

Meta logo in a photo illustration taken on Aug. 22, 2022. Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in on the importance of social media companies taking responsibility for content after Meta announced it would be scrapping its fact checking service.

Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, promised to scrap Fact Checkers ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s accession on Jan. 20. Instead, the company would adopt a “Community Notes” model similar to the Elon Musk-owned X.