Meta ditches fact-checking: Will this affect my ads?
By Annabelle Keal
On Tuesday Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, announced that it would stop its third-party chat fact-checking and replace it with its community notes a system similar to that on X. But what does this mean for your business and your social media advertising?
The meta update is set to abandon the use of independent fact-checkers across the USA in the next couple of months. But, there will be no immediate change in the UK and EU. TLDR, if you operate in those regions, you can relax for now but we’d recommend keeping an eye on the situation as well as making sure that the Meta platforms are still places where your stakeholders hang out.
What did Mark Zuckerberg have to say about the changes?
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg made this latest announcement at a live event. During his speech, he conceded that moderators were too politically biased. Instead, he told delegates, users would now write and rate community notes, a similar process to what already exists on X. The announcement was supported by a blog on the company's website.
In recent years we’ve developed increasingly complex systems to manage content across our platforms, partly in response to societal and political pressure to moderate content. This approach has gone too far.
Many have noted that the changes are a response to previous threats made by incoming US President-elect Donald Trump. And it does seem the pair have set aside their differences lately, with Zuckerberg spending time with him and appointing long-term associates such as Dana White to Meta’s board. At the end of the day, Mark Zuckerberg is a businessman, it’s not surprising that he’s mitigating risk and taking such decisive actions in light of political change.
Who’s using Facebook today?
Let’s be honest, when we say Meta, there’s still a very strong association with Facebook over the other platforms. So who uses Facebook and will these changes impact the demographics?
There's often an assumption that the older social media platforms are falling out of favour with younger users who prefer Snapchat and TikTok. However, Facebook remains popular with older Gen Z and Millenials. And, according to data and business intelligence platform Statista, it is most popular with young men in these age groups.
As of April 2024, it was found that men between the ages of 25 and 34 years made up Facebook largest audience, accounting for 18.4 percent of global users. Additionally, Facebook's second largest audience base could be found with men aged 18 to 24 years.
Will this change once third-party fact-checking is eliminated? Critics of X will have concerns about Facebook becoming a more hostile place under the guise of free speech. However, from an organisational point-of-view, we’d recommend keeping an eye on both developments and the demographics to ensure that the platform is still the right one for your brand and your clients.
What does this mean for social media advertising?
The elimination of ‘Facebook Jail’ may be welcome news for your opinionated uncle but what does it mean for your brand? Facebook is still very much a market leader when it comes to users and Meta advertising has the potential for a good ROI - providing it’s right for your brand. We don’t see that changing anytime soon.
If social advertising aligns with your business we’re here to help you explore the opportunities. Facebook and other platforms offer an excellent opportunity to help you to grow your audience, drive sales and often at a lower cost than other advertising channels. With the right approach paid social media can deliver a great return on investment and open new doors for your business.
Need help with your paid social media strategy, or with determining if it should be part of your strategy? We can help, get in touch.