Meta shelves fact-checking in policy reversal ahead of Trump inauguration

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on a pair of Orion augmented reality glasses at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25. | REUTERS

by KATIE PAUL, SUPANTHA MUKHERJEE AND DEBORAH MARY SOPHIA
January 8, 2025

Social media company Meta Platforms on Tuesday scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity, bowing to criticism from conservatives as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office for a second time.

The move is Meta's biggest overhaul of its approach to managing political content on its services in recent memory and comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg has signaled a desire to mend fences with the incoming administration.

The changes will affect Facebook, Instagram and Threads, three of the world's biggest social media platforms with more than 3 billion users globally.