Meta’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mark Zuckerberg recently announced significant changes to the company’s moderation policies and practices. This decision is attributed to the evolving political and social environment, as well as a commitment to promoting free speech. Notably, the social media platform will phase out its fact-checking program with established partners and introduce a community-based system akin to Community Notes on X (earlier Twitter).
Meanwhile, a tangible feeling of panic has enveloped fact-checkers in India as well, following the development. Several fact-checking organizations that have emerged in India over the past few years depend significantly on financial support from Meta. Consequently, any repercussions stemming from the company’s position in the United States may potentially jeopardize the future of many of these platforms. A senior executive from a fact-checking organization stated, “This is possibly the biggest existential threat many fact-checkers will have to contend with,” reported The Indian Express.
The current cessation of Meta’s third-party fact-checking program is limited to the United States, however, fact-checkers in India foresee that similar changes will soon be implemented in the country. They interpret the company’s strategic shift towards a more President-elect Donald Trump-friendly approach as a move likely to endure for at least the next four years. There are two significant concerns of financial resources and audience reach in the event that this situation unfolds.
Fact-checkers have expressed that for various Indian entities, involvement in Meta’s third-party fact-checking program is their only means of financial sustenance. The loss of this funding could force them to shut down their operations. Additionally, these fact-checkers depend on Meta’s platforms for visibility. Facebook and Instagram serve as the primary channels for directing traffic to their websites. The removal of their content from these platforms could drastically reduce the number of visitors to their sites.
Meta engages with fact-checkers certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), who analyze and rate the veracity of posts on Meta platforms based on original reporting. Meta has formed alliances with 12 such fact-checking partners, including notable publishers like PTI, AFP, India Today Fact Check and The Quint, as well as a selection of smaller organizations, in India.
As of now, it is uncertain if Meta will extend its decision to discontinue fact-checking partnerships in India. A company spokesperson added, “We are ending our third-party fact checking program, and over the next couple of months we’ll phase in a more comprehensive Community Notes system, in the US. There are no changes to other countries at this time.” Furthermore, it is unclear how such a system would comply with regulations like the EU’s (European Union) Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to implement strategies to address illegal content and allegedly protect users.
Meta’s New Beginning
Meta’s recent actions are perceived as a strategic shift by the company in preparation for the upcoming Trump era. Mark Zuckerberg mentioned a series of content-related modifications to Meta’s platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Threads. A primary highlight of this is the termination of the third-party fact-checking program in the United States. He declared, “We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.”
Zuckerberg further conveyed, “More specifically, here’s what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the US.” Meta in a blog post added, “Once the program is up and running, Meta won’t write Community Notes or decide which ones show up. They are written and rated by contributing users. Just like they do on X, Community Notes will require agreement between people with a range of perspectives to help prevent biased ratings.”
“We intend to be transparent about how different viewpoints inform the notes displayed in our apps, and are working on the right way to share this information. People can sign up today (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) for the opportunity to be among the first contributors to this program as it becomes available,” it informed.
“We’ve seen this approach work on X, where they empower their community to decide when posts are potentially misleading and need more context, and people across a diverse range of perspectives decide what sort of context is helpful for other users to see. We think this could be a better way of achieving our original intention of providing people with information about what they’re seeing and one that’s less prone to bias,” Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer proclaimed.
Meta has indicated that it will begin the rollout of its Community Notes strategy over the upcoming two months, with further enhancements planned for the rest of the year. This initiative will entail the discontinuation of content demotion based on user fact-checking and the introduction of what the Joel Kaplan described as “a considerably less obtrusive label” that guides users to additional resources.
Alongside the cessation of its fact-checking program in the United States, Meta has disclosed its intention to transfer its content moderation team from California to Texas, a decision that is widely viewed as a gesture towards the fresh Trump presidency. Furthermore, the company has strengthened its ties with the incoming presidential administration by appointing Dana White, the founder of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and a notable supporter of Trump, to its board of directors.
The company has also contributed $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, aiming to foster a constructive relationship with the administration following a period of strained interactions. Earlier, Zuckerberg had made a trip to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence located in Florida. Meta also appointed Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican, to the position of president of global affairs.
Indian fact-checker organizations affiliated with IFCN
International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) official website declared, “Signatories of the IFCN Code of Principles are subjected to the established vetting process and evaluated by external assessors. Through this process, an organization must exhibit a commitment to nonpartisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of funding and organization, transparency of methodology, and a commitment to open and honest corrections.”
As expected, many fact-checking organizations from India are featured on the website. The list of “verified signatories of the IFCN Code of Principles who are active” included mutliple names from the country: Boom, Digital Forensics, Research and Analytics Centre (D-FRAC), Digiteye, Factly Media & Research, Fact Crescendo, First Check, India Today Fact Check, News Mobile, Newschecker, Newsmeter (Fifth Estate Digital Private Limited), THIP (The Healthy Indian Project) Healthtech Pvt Ltd, TV Today Network Limited – The Lallantop, Telugupost.com, The Quint, Vishvas News and Youturn. If the updated Meta policy adjustments are enforced in India, then the company will snap ties with these platforms.
Press Trust of India is currently undergoing a renewal process as IFCN informed, “Verified signatories are reminded a month prior to their expiration date with a notice to start their renewal process and the IFCN offers them a three months period to complete their renewal process. The renewal process is subject to a new assessment and approval by IFCN’s advisory board in reference to IFCN’s Code of Principles.”
“Due to the high volume of applications, some of the signatories that have expired may be undergoing the renewal process. To confirm which organization is undergoing renewal, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding,” the network added in relation to the expired entites which had FactChecker.in, Pravda Media Foundation and The Logical Indian in its roster from India.
Alt News and IFCN
Alt News, a self-identified fact-checking site in India, was a signatory partner of the IFCN until April 2020. However, its parent company Pravda Media Foundation was found in the “expired” list. “This badge (IFCN displayed over logo) confirms Pravda Media Foundation was deemed compliant with the IFCN principles when subjected to the established vetting process and evaluated by external assessors. Through this process, an organization must exhibit a commitment to nonpartisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of funding and organization, transparency of methodology, and a commitment to open and honest corrections,” the webiste stated.
The most recent accreditation to Alt News was granted on 26th April 2019 which ended on the corresponding date the following year. The accreditation granted by IFCN remains valid for a duration of one year. Interestingly, IFCN reported that Alt News, might have possibly contravened a clause of the its code, in June 2019. The provision that Alt News could have breached pertains to the organization’s nonpartisanship policy.
The former was notified on 7th June by a netizen that Pratik Sinha, Alt News’s co-founder, was violating the neutrality regulation. Pratik Sinha had confirmed his association with Jan Sangharsh Manch, a civil rights outfit founded by his late father Mukul Sinha, in his X profile. Notably, it has since been removed from there. Furthermore, it was highlighted that Jan Sangharsh Manch has organized political events and is linked to the political party referred to as the New Socialist Movement. It is also known for its stance against the ruling party in India.
How non-partisan is IFCN
The IFCN claims to be a global consortium of organizations focused on combating false information across mass media and social media platforms. However, a review of their dubious history unveiled otherwise. IFCN had indicated that it was investigating possible infractions by Alt News, in 2019 after it was discovered that its founder, Pratik Sinha, along with directors Nirjhari Sinha and Murlidhar Deomurari are associated with the Jan Sangharsh Manch. Furthermore, the leadership of the Jan Sangharsh Manch played a pivotal role in founding the New Socialist Movement, which was registered as a political party with the Election Commission in 2007.
Afterward, Baybars Orsek, the director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), announced that they had posed a series of inquiries to Alt News and alleged that there was no basis for any further action after evaluating the responses. It appeared that IFCN did not make any attempts to verify the explanation presented by the platform. A brief investigation would have easily exposed the narrative it was attempting to establish. However, the primary purpose of the entire exercise or rather charade was to absolve Alt News of any culpability.
America First Legal (AFL) utilized social media platforms to reveal the collaboration between the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department and private media organizations in disseminating deep state propaganda, in 2023. It obtained documents related to the GEC through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The organization previously initiated legal action against the private entities that allegedly conspired with the US federal government to implement mass surveillance and restrict the free speech of American citizens.
AFL added that numerous conservative Americans were singled out for their statements related to vaccine mandates, election integrity and Covid-19 vaccinations, on social media. It highlighted that GEC of the US State Department is working with ‘fact checkers’ backed by George Soros and associated with IFCN, to shape the global media narrative. AFL stated that the fact-checkers, coordinating with GEC, also recieve money from notable organizations such as Omidyar Network, Google, Facebook and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
OpIndia already shed light on a systematic approach taken by the Left lobby, in 2021, in alliance with their corporate sponsors, to bolster unreliable networks and groups with the intent of commandeering certain narratives to preserve their narrative monopoly. The IFCN serves as a prime example of this strategy, having lauded Alt News, whose founders are known for their extensive record of spreading false information and were its partners. Their ideological affiliations are also well established.
The IFCN-accredited fact-checker Boom Live also demonstrated a propensity for spreading false narratives. It disseminated a conspiracy theory regarding the transfer of Justice Muralidhar shortly after it happened. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2018 released a substandard research paper that sought to link the rise of fake news to nationalism. They were ultimately forced to retract their story after OpIndia published a series of articles that successfully debunked their findings.
A key reason for the BBC’s inaccuracies was their reliance on biased fact-checkers during their research process. This was a direct result of their dependence on IFCN-accredited fact-checkers. As a result, when researchers utilize IFCN for their studies, they frequently arrive at flawed conclusions, which can lead to the complete withdrawal of their work. While the analysis contained multiple shortcomings, a glaring issue was their reliance on biased sources regarding fake news.
Moreover, IFCN in the past refused accreditation to certain media organizations based solely on political disagreements. OpIndia and Facthunt were denied the same for reasons that clearly reflected a bias. The minimal consideration they give to fact-checking is further illustrated by the behavior of their accredited fact-checkers, who often promote misinformation and misclassify authentic occurrences as false.
Conclusion
IFCN does not serve as a genuine mechanism to combat misinformation. Its primary function appears to be supporting the Left’s influence over public dialogue while masquerading as a defender against fake news. It was particularly troubling that Meta had chosen to collaborate exclusively with IFCN-accredited fact-checkers in its efforts to address misinformation.
More importantly, it is noteworthy that the Poynter Institute, which manages the IFCN, also owns the Tampa Bay Times, a media organization that supported Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential campaign. The IFCN, while asserting its role as a non-partisan repository of fact-checking organizations, has a considerable political leaning and a similar duplicity is clearly evident in its actions.
The implications for the credibility of the IFCN are yet to be fully assessed in light of Meta’s recent decision to break off its association with fact-checkers after X. However, no drastic change can be expected as it is designed to support leftist agendas and present their version of truth via preferred fact-checkers. Nonetheless, Meta’s action is perceived as a refreshing step that could yield significant results in countering the left’s misinformation campaign.
At the very least, it will prevent Meta from remaining an echo chamber for leftist propaganda and will provide ordinary citizens with an opportunity to raise their voices. It now remains to be seen whether this same development will also be rolled out in India.
