Years ago, social media giants adopted fact-checking systems where they verify claims, especially by public figures, and hold users accountable in response to the rise of misinformation. They engage independent organizations or experts to verify the accuracy of claims made by public figures, news outlets, or social media users. Fact-checking has been effective in curbing the spread of false information. But then, it has also faced criticism. Like all humans, fact-checkers bring their own perspectives and cultural experiences to their work. As a result, the control of information on social media is affected by power dynamics, stereotypes, and biases. For Muslim communities, this has meant facing undue scrutiny, misrepresentation, and Islamophobic narratives.
The challenges of fact-checking have led to new approaches in online moderation. After rebranding, X (formerly Twitter) introduced “community notes,” a process that fosters inclusive contributions. Community Notes is a crowd-sourcing system. Users opt in to submit notes and vote on submitted notes, and when a threshold is reached, that note appears to everyone on the platform, appended to the original content.
Meta’s Adoption of Community Note
In a significant move, Meta, toeing the path of its archrival “X,” announced the phasing out of its fact-checking program and instead focusing on community notes. As much as it attracts praise, this decision raises concern, with many wondering what prompted this change.
According to reports, Meta’s decision to drop fact-checking was partly driven by the challenges and limitations of traditional fact-checking. Acknowledging the biases of fact-checking, Mark Zuckerberg said, “Fact-checkers have been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they have created.” While admitting the process’s politicisation, he added, “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 has gone too far.” He, therefore, aims to create a more participatory and community-driven approach to online moderation by adopting community notes.
Meanwhile, it is also believed that Meta’s decision to drop fact-checking in favour of community notes could also be attributed to factors such as market competitiveness, profiteering and a desire for political relevance. Some media experts believe Meta is trying to appease the right wing, particularly with a potential second Trump presidency on the horizon, while keeping tabs on its competitors and maximising its profit. In his own observation, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “I think that Mark Zuckerberg is trying to follow in Elon’s footsteps, which means that actually, they’re going to use this guise of free speech to actually suppress critics of Trump and critics of themselves,”
Reactions to Meta’s Decision
Reactions to Meta’s move have been mixed. Some have praised the decision, arguing that community notes will help to promote media literacy, critical thinking, and online civility. Others have expressed concerns that the lack of fact-checking will lead to the escalation of misinformation and the erosion of trust in online platforms. However, critics have also questioned the potential risks and unintended consequences of relying on community notes that may result from influences of “bad actors” trying to sabotage the process.
Despite these concerns, Meta remains committed to its vision of creating a more community-driven and participatory online environment. As Zuckerberg has stated, the goal is to create a platform that is “more inclusive, more participatory, and more responsive to the needs of our communities.”
How do the Muslims Fare in All These?
Western media bias against Muslim concerns and agitations is a longstanding issue, and the Meta platform is no exception in this regard. Recently, Meta was observed siding with Israel against Gaza through its censorship.
A Human Rights Watch report documented over 1,050 takedowns and suppressions of Palestine-related content, including posts about human rights violations, on Instagram and Facebook between October and November 2023. Meta also faced backlash for removing posts containing the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” after 7 October 2023.
This shows once again how risky it is for Muslims to depend on Western interest-driven media platforms. Our duty is to build our own media and means of communication instead of relying on these tech giants.
Meanwhile, the Glorious Qur’an has taught us rigorous information verification. Allah says, in the 6th verse of Surat al-Hujurat: “O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful”By adopting this as a principle for ourselves, we should choose our news sources more carefully and avoid spreading information that we are not sure of its accuracy.
Finally, tech giants like Meta, X, and Wikipedia need to redefine their priorities. Preference should be given to humanity over all other interests.By prioritising humanity, they can contribute to building a more just and compassionate world.
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