President Joe Biden criticized Meta on Friday for ending its third-party fact-checking program, calling the decision “shameful” and against American values.
Biden’s comments came after Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced it would replace its traditional third-party fact-checkers with a new system that relies on community-driven checks. This change, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as a way to restore free expression and reduce mistakes, has drawn concern from the president.
Biden, speaking during a rare Q&A session at the White House, responded to a question about Meta’s policy change by expressing his disappointment. He argued that moving away from fact-checking contradicts the principles of truth and justice in America. He specifically mentioned that not reporting on issues like discrimination in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program was troubling, though it was unclear exactly what he meant by this reference.
“It’s completely contrary to everything America’s about,” Biden said. He emphasized the importance of telling the truth, especially when it comes to public communication. The president added that allowing misinformation to spread unchecked, especially through major platforms like Meta, was harmful, particularly when millions of people rely on these platforms for news and information.
Earlier in the week, Zuckerberg had announced the shift in Meta’s approach, explaining that the company’s new community-based model would be more effective than the previous third-party fact-checking system. The CEO explained that Meta aimed to reduce errors made in the fact-checking process and promote freedom of expression. However, Biden rejected the idea, calling it a step backward for truth and accountability.
Zuckerberg has faced criticism from the Biden administration as well. Just hours before Biden’s remarks, Zuckerberg spoke on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, where he described how the U.S. government had pressured Meta to censor content related to COVID-19 vaccines. Zuckerberg claimed that Biden administration officials had aggressively pushed the company to remove posts that were critical of the vaccine, accusing the government of unfairly targeting the platform.
Meta has not responded to Biden’s comments yet.
