Meta has officially ended its fact-checking operations for content moderation across posts, Reels, status updates, and more, with the transition now in effect as of this week.

It originally aimed at preventing the spread of online lies among more than 3 billion people who use Meta’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

Instead of relying on traditional third-party fact-checking, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will implement a “Community Notes-like” experience for verifying information, primarily aimed at the American public.

This change, first announced in January, has drawn significant backlash, especially as Community Notes will now be managed by unpaid volunteers rather than professional fact-checkers.

The move has raised concerns about the potential spread of misinformation and the reliability of the new system.

Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, confirmed in a recent post on X that the company’s fact-checking program officially ended on Monday, April 7, as previously promised.

However, the shift currently only applies to Meta’s U.S. operations, with other regions continuing to rely on the old fact-checking system for now.

The company has stated that third-party fact-checkers will no longer monitor user-generated content in the United States, including posts, images, and videos marking a significant shift away from the program Meta introduced years ago to combat misinformation.

Meta’s move to phase out its fact-checking program coincides with its continued push for free speech on its platforms, similar to actions taken by Elon Musk’s X.

The change has sparked widespread debate, with critics pointing to the potential for increased misinformation.

Since announcing the transition, Meta has faced criticism, especially given that Community Notes will be managed by volunteer contributors, raising questions about the accuracy and effectiveness of the new system.

This shift is part of a broader trend across social media platforms, including X, where Community Notes are also being used to address misinformation.

However, reports suggest that X’s system has struggled to effectively tackle misleading claims, primarily due to the need for cross-political consensus before notes are published.

As a result, many contentious claims go unchallenged, potentially exacerbating confusion and division among users.

Meta’s adoption of this same approach raises concerns, particularly given the larger scale of its user base. With a far-reaching audience, the impact of this shift could be more pronounced on Meta’s platforms, leading to greater challenges in curbing misinformation.

Despite the criticism, Meta is proceeding with the roll-out of Community Notes, and it remains to be seen whether this approach will work more effectively than it has on X.

While it’s still early days, this shift could have significant implications for how content moderation and fact-checking evolve on social media platforms. Only time will tell if this proves to be a misstep for Meta or if it becomes the new standard for managing misinformation.