Beyond the Headlines: Meta and Free Speech
In a recent video, Mark Zuckerberg pointed out that Facebook’s outlook on free speech appeared to greatly shift between 2015 and the present.
By Madison Fossa
EiC’s Note: This is the first article in a new series called “Beyond the Headlines.” In the series, Madison Fossa will discuss easily overlooked changes that have taken place in America since the 2024 presidential election.
On January 7, 2025, Mark Zuckerberg took the public by surprise when he released a controversial video that will change Americans’ relationship to social media. Zuckerberg’s video has received a divided response from viewers, with many questioning the true motivations behind the announcement.
Censorship at Facebook and Instagram
Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) has set the standards worldwide for fact-checking and censorship on social media, starting around the 2016 US presidential election. In a speech delivered at Georgetown, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the significance of freedom of speech in the United States and its impact on American citizens. Zuckerberg also pointed out in his recent video that the outlook on free speech appeared to greatly shift at Facebook between his 2015 Georgetown speech and the present.
Zuckerberg claims that these changes were prompted by pressure from perplexed individuals, legacy media, and governmental powers in the United States. Social Media sites were encouraged to flag, censor, and fact-check “dangerous” misinformation online, leading to the fact-checking Facebook and Instagram users are so familiar with today.
Over time, the level of censorship and its consequences grew exponentially. Some threats online were legitimate, but other content was censored for purely political reasons. In the beginning of Zuckerberg’s 2024 video release, he explains that fact-checkers have been “too politically biased” and are directly impacting the trust Americans have in social media platforms.
To effectively process the information coming through their servers, Facebook used algorithms to assist in censoring and flagging content. However, as Zuckerberg points out, algorithms make mistakes, leading to the unintended blocking of millions of innocent users’ posts or accounts. The public began to increasingly distrust fact-checking and social media censorship.
Changes Taking place for Facebook and Instagram
1. Fact Checkers Replaced with Community Notes
Instead of using fact-checkers, community notes will be used to process content more fairly. Community notes have been scientifically shown to increase trust in the fact-checking process overall. Community notes are a way for people to access the content of a post and either comment on its validity or provide context for its claims. Instead of a few fact-checkers or overly complicated algorithms being the “arbiters of truth,” the community gets to decide what information is important and valid to share.
2. Policy Simplified and Enforced Differently
The second change will have different, more relaxed restrictions on what users can and cannot post about on Facebook. Currently, controversial topics can be restricted and flagged by censorship algorithms. However, Zuckerberg argues such restrictions are “out of touch with mainstream discourse.” He also claims the platform needs to be more accommodating and accepting of various viewpoints.
As a result, instead of scanning for every policy violation, the algorithms will focus on flagging posts that are severe violations of Facebook policy (Ex. illegal content, etc.). Smaller violations will be handled by community notes and individual reports. These policy reforms are intended to reduce many of the mistakes that the algorithms make.
3. Bringing Back Civic Content
Civic content is content about politics and government, which the public was wary about in 2016. Zuckerberg again references the current political climate in the United States. This time, he uses it as reasoning to bring back civic content to Meta platforms. Because the United States is now more open to political discourse, Facebook hopes civic content will foster political discussions that are “friendly and positive.” Civic content will be slowly brought back into consumers’ feeds.
4. Content Moderation Teams Moving to Texas
Based on the political stereotypes surrounding different states, American’s opinions of companies can change depending on their location. Zuckerberg expressed concern that trust in fact checkers was harmed because of their location in California. Moving the team to Texas is an attempt to restore public faith that Facebook is not biased, especially in its censorship decisions.
5. Working with Trump to Protect Free Expression Worldwide
Zuckerberg concludes his video by stating that Facebook will be working closely with President Trump to ensure free speech not only for Americans but others around the globe. As Zuckerberg referenced the increasing censorship Europeans are experiencing, his language became reminiscent of his Georgetown speech. Zuckerberg restated what a privilege it is to freely speak one’s mind in America. At the end of his video, a new vision for Facebook and Instagram was spelled out. It looks towards a future of worldwide free speech and sharing on Internet platforms. READ MORE: The Second 100 Days
Public Reactions
Public reaction to Zuckerberg’s video has varied, particularly along political lines. However, the most important question being raised is what motivated the changes at Meta. There is a widespread belief that the changes are politically driven, which makes some liberals and conservatives distrust Zuckerberg. Liberals have begun to assume that Zuckerberg is selling out to Donald Trump. On the other hand, certain conservatives worry that Zuckerberg’s changes aren’t genuine and will not be effective or lasting.
In his video, Zuckerberg references the cultural climate of the United States as reasoning for most of the changes he is making at his company. Whether it was his Mar-a-Lago meeting with Trump or a personal transformation, Zuckerberg has made the changes at Meta public. While only time can tell if changes are genuine, the video’s release itself speaks loudly. Meta’s decision to produce such a video suggests a potential shift in American culture towards free speech.
About the Author
Madison Fossa is a sophomore at Grove City College, from New Jersey. She is a Trustee Scholar majoring in Biology and minoring in Technical Writing. Madison is an ambassador for Young Women for America, and the Vice President of Young Women for America on campus at Grove City.
READ MORE BY MADISON FOSSA: Could Women’s Sports be the Catalyst for Cultural Change?
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or its affiliates.
Cover Image: Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash (Cropped).
Published January 31. Written by Madison Fossa. Edited by Scott Cross. Part of “Beyond the Headlines.”
Two CheckPoint article references. Written by Madison Fossa. Also written by Roan Fair.