Meta's decision to end its anti-disinformation program raises serious concerns about the spread of falsehoods online. While the program had limitations, it played a role in reducing the circulation of harmful misinformation. The move has broader implications, potentially weakening the societal value placed on truth and paving the way for the proliferation of disinformation and distrust in established sources.
Fact-checking helps stop lies from spreading, but it also shows that we take truth seriously.In its recent announcement, Meta declared that it is ending its anti-disinformation program, stating a commitment to “more speech and fewer mistakes” .
So ending the program—as opposed to improving it—has troubling consequences for the spread of lies online. But the undermining of fact-checking by the world’s biggestplatform has a more insidious effect as well: It undermines the value we place on truth in general. And that has effects that range beyond social media into culture itself.Philosophers have long argued over what truth is—and many have questioned whether we can ever really know what is objectively true and what isn't.
This skeptical strategy can be found at work in many polarized political movements—authoritarian or not. It isn’t about spreading lies. It is about diminishing trust in outside authorities—encouraging members of the movement to not only dismiss evidence that challenges their worldview but to express"contempt for facts as such." Practically speaking, that means dismissing the idea that there can even be objective evidence that contradicts your opinions and those of your partisan allies.
Social Media Politics MISINFORMATION FACT-CHECKING TRUTH META DEMOCRACY
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