Meta to stop fact-checking in the US on April 7 — Community Notes to take over
Meta replaces fact-checking with community notes
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Tuesday it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with a Community Notes program written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s social media platform X.
LOS ANGELES - Meta is officially ending its third-party fact-checking program across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the United States starting Monday, April 7. The change marks a significant shift in how the company handles misinformation, transferring responsibility from professional fact-checkers to its new user-driven initiative, Community Notes.
The decision follows Meta’s January announcement that it would wind down its fact-checking partnerships in favor of a more "scalable" and "less biased" model. While critics worry about the risks of unchecked misinformation, supporters, including former President Donald Trump and other conservative leaders, have praised the move as a win for free expression.
What changes on April 7?
What's next:
According to a statement obtained by FOX Business, Meta will turn off fact-checkers’ ability to rate new content starting Monday. This means no new fact-checks will appear on posts in the U.S., and existing fact-check ratings from earlier this year will no longer affect distribution or penalties. Any strikes previously issued to users will also be removed.
Instead, Meta plans to replace professional reviews with a crowdsourced system called Community Notes. While the company acknowledges the new system is still in development, it believes the approach will allow a wider range of perspectives to shape content moderation.
How does Community Notes work?
The backstory:
Modeled after a similar feature on X (formerly Twitter), Meta’s Community Notes allows users to submit and rate explanatory notes on viral posts. Only when contributors from varying viewpoints agree on the note’s accuracy will it appear publicly. However, these notes will not limit the reach or visibility of flagged posts, unlike the former fact-checking system.
In March, Meta began testing the feature in the U.S., allowing users to apply to contribute. But the rollout is expected to take time, and public-facing notes may not appear immediately.
Why is Meta ending traditional fact-checking?
The other side:
Meta introduced professional fact-checking in 2016 to curb misinformation, especially around elections and public health. The program partnered with over 100 independent organizations globally to verify claims and reduce the reach of misleading content.
However, in January 2025, Meta announced it would sunset the program, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg citing concerns about political bias. The move aligned with conservative criticism that fact-checking disproportionately targeted right-leaning content. President Trump, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan were among those who applauded the change.
Logos of Facebook and Instagram are seen displayed in front of the Meta company logo. Meta will officially end third-party fact-checking on its US platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, on April 7, 2025, replacing it with a user-driven system c (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Still, media watchdogs and misinformation researchers have raised red flags. They argue that eliminating expert oversight risks opening the floodgates for viral falsehoods—especially in a major election year.
Will misinformation rise or fall under the new system?
Big picture view:
Meta’s shift to Community Notes represents a major philosophical change in content moderation. Rather than policing misinformation through expert review, the platform is betting on its users to provide accurate, fair, and transparent context at scale.
The company has emphasized that the system is still in its early stages and may take time to evolve. "This is a brand new product that we’re still testing and building," Meta said. "We don’t expect this process to be perfect."
Critics, however, remain skeptical. Some warn that relying on the crowd to check facts—especially without penalties for false content—could lead to greater confusion and polarization.
The success of Community Notes may ultimately depend on how well it’s implemented—and whether users truly have diverse, good-faith participation.
The Source: This report is based on an email statement obtained by FOX Business and ongoing coverage from the Associated Press. Previous FOX Television Stations reporting from March 13, 2025, detailed Meta’s initial rollout of its Community Notes program and the end of its traditional fact-checking system.