Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Meta will abandon the use of independent fact checkers on Facebook and Instagram puts the debate between free speech and censorship firmly in the spotlight.

Responding to claims of political bias, led by Donald Trump and other right-wing commentators in the US, Meta announced it would get rid of third-party content monitors on their Facebook and Instagram social media sites. In their place it will introduce a "community notes" system where users of the platforms will be left to comment on the accuracy of posts, emulating the format used by Elon Musk’s X.

Meta argues this move will promote free speech but it has also raised concerns of political influence as the company appears to be aligning itself more closely to the new Trump administration.........

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