Meta is shifting away from third-party fact-checking and adopting the Community Notes Model, first introduced by X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk’s leadership. This new approach relies on regular users, rather than professional fact-checkers, to assess and provide context for potentially misleading content. Instead of removing posts, the model allows users to add notes with additional information or corrections under a post, image or video.
What is the future for brand safety on Meta?
While Zuckerberg frames this shift as a return to Meta’s transparency and free expression roots, many have raised concerns about the potential rise in harmful and misleading content. Especially since both Instagram and Facebook have become more common marketplaces for consumers to shop on. With fewer restrictions on what can be posted, brands may face increased risks from false claims, impersonation, or association with controversial narratives. Advertisers on Meta have especially raised concerns about this, as it is commonly known that consumer emotions heavily influence purchasing decisions, meaning that misleading or damaging content about a brand can have real-world consequences. Without a structured fact-checking process, businesses may struggle to counter misinformation efficiently. What impact can this have on brand trust, brand value, and brand loyalty?
- Less control over misinformation. Since Meta no longer actively fact-checks content, false or misleading claims about a brand may spread before users correct them—if they do at all.
- Unpredictable moderation. Community Notes rely on users agreeing on what is accurate. Some false claims may be addressed quickly, while others go unchallenged, impacting a brand’s reputation.
- Higher risk of brand association with harmful content. Ads may appear next to controversial or misleading posts that are not effectively moderated, potentially harming the brand’s image.
- Harder to combat rumors and false claims. Businesses can no longer rely on Meta to proactively remove harmful content. They must monitor and respond to damaging rumors themselves.
- Greater responsibility for brands. Companies advertising on Meta need to be more active in tracking where their ads appear, how their brand is perceived, and how they manage customer interactions to protect their reputation in a user-moderated environment. In short, these changes increase the risk of misinformation spreading and reduce control over a brand’s online presence, requiring businesses to take a more proactive approach.
Meta’s new moderation policy applies only in the U.S., but Zuckerberg has indicated that the company aims to roll it out globally. However, platforms in the EU and UK cannot simply remove fact-checking without regulatory oversight. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), major online platforms must conduct a risk assessment and submit it to the European Commission before making significant policy changes. Even though this shift has not formally reached Europe, it still impacts any company operating in the U.S. Given that the internet—especially e-commerce—knows no borders, businesses must adopt a global Online Brand protection strategy. Useful Online Brand protection tools to safeguard your brand include:
- Monitoring and watch, especially on marketplaces and social media.
- Surveillance and investigation, including evidence reports and threat assessments.
- Enforcement in the form of takedowns, search engine de-listing, and customs and administrative enforcements.
Click here for more information on our Online Brand Protection Program.
