Fact-Checkers Under Scrutiny as Big Tech Scales Back Support

Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program in the U.S. has sparked a surge in online attacks against fact-checkers and raised concerns about the future of misinformation control on social media. The move, described by CEO Mark Zuckerberg as an effort to combat censorship, has been widely interpreted as a concession to political pressure, particularly from former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Fact-checkers across Europe, who have worked with Meta for years, report increased harassment, death threats, and political attacks. Lithuanian journalist Aistė Meidutė noted a significant credibility hit for her fact-checking group, while Slovenian journalist Anuška Delić warned that connecting fact-checking with censorship has fueled misinformation narratives.

Meta plans to replace fact-checking with a “community-notes” system similar to the approach used by X (formerly Twitter), a shift critics argue will weaken efforts to combat disinformation. Meanwhile, other tech giants, including Google and LinkedIn, are also scaling back their commitments to fighting misinformation in Europe.

Although Meta’s change hasn’t yet affected Europe, experts believe it’s only a matter of time. However, regulatory hurdles such as the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) may slow down its implementation. The DSA mandates transparency and accountability from large platforms, with potential fines of up to 6% of annual global revenue for non-compliance.

European fact-checkers are preparing for a challenging future, as they may lose both financial support and a platform for their work. Despite this, they remain committed to fighting misinformation, even in the face of rising political and online hostility.

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