Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya strongly criticized Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision to eliminate Facebook's fact-checking program. Zuckerberg announced the system's replacement with community notes, similar to those used on X (formerly Twitter), in a recent video. This shift comes after the fact-checking system, implemented post-2016 election, faced criticism for alleged political bias and overreach. Meta executives admitted the system, initially designed to address misinformation, had "gone too far."
During an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich," Tafoya questioned Zuckerberg's authority to make such a change, drawing parallels to similar situations in Canada under Justin Trudeau's administration. She expressed concern over the suppression of differing viewpoints, emphasizing its conflict with American principles of free speech. Tafoya argued that this issue deserves significant attention and should not be dismissed lightly.
Meta's chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, defended the move to community notes, highlighting the benefits of user-generated commentary over reliance on potentially biased experts. He explained that notes gaining broad user support would be attached to content for increased visibility. Kaplan believes this approach offers a more balanced perspective.
