Last week, Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to end Meta’s fact-checking program. Meta is the name of the social media company which owns Facebook and Instagram. Zuckerberg has been cozying up to Donald Trump in recent months, and this new move was seen as yet another capitulation to Trump and the MAGA crowd. President Biden called Zuckerberg’s move “shameful,” and all kinds of social-media and political experts are raising the alarm that “no fact-checking” could have dire consequences. Well, the Sussexes are now some of those critics raising the alarm. On sussex.com, Harry and Meghan released a lengthy statement bashing Meta’s new move. Here’s an excerpt:
It doesn’t matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between—the latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech. This should deeply concern us all. Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it.
In an already confusing and, in many instances, intentionally disruptive information environment, Meta has shown their words and commitments have very little meaning or integrity. As they announce these changes undoubtedly responding to political winds, they once again abandon public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control. The company’s decision to rollback protections is so far away from its stated values and commitments to its users—including the parents and families calling for change around the globe—that it’s now deeply deceptive.
Millions of people are using Meta’s platforms in the United States. Hundreds of millions more are using them globally. Many use the platform to spread joy, build community, and share empowering information. Unfortunately, Meta’s recent decisions go directly against its stated mission to “build human connection” and instead prioritize those using the platforms to spread hate, lies and division at the expense of everyone else.
…We are particularly alarmed by plans to abandon commitments to diversity and equity, coupled with internal policy changes that undermine protections for marginalized communities. These decisions echo what experts, whistleblowers, and families have raised in hearings on online harm, especially regarding children’s safety: platform design, dictated by internal policies, directly determines our online experience. To ignore this is knowingly putting everyone in harm’s way and contributing to a global mental health crisis.
The Sussexes call on Zuckerberg to reinstate the old fact-checking policies and strengthen them. As the Times pointed out, Zuckerberg has been weakening the fact-checking policies for a while though, creating a sort of watered-down version in name only. The sense I’m getting is that Zuckerberg is trying to “meet the moment” of Trump’s America, and help foster a free-for-all of political disinformation and a cesspool of hate.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- Invictus Games Prinz Harry und Meghan beim Rollstuhl Basketball Finale Prinz Harry, Herzog von Sussex gemeinsam mit Ehefrau Meghan Markle, Herzogin von Sussex beim Rollstuhl-Basketball Finale zwischen Frankreich und der USA im Rahmen der Invictus Games 2023, Duesseldorf, 13.09.2023 Duesseldorf Nordrhein-Westfalen Deutschland *** Invictus Games Prince Harry and Meghan at the Wheelchair Basketball Final Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex together with wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at the Wheelchair Basketball Final between France and the USA during the Invictus Games 2023, Duesseldorf, 13 09 2023 Duesseldorf Nordrhein Westfalen Germany,Image: 805086128, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO / Avalon
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- Invictus Games 2023 Rollstuhlbasketball 13.09.2023 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex und Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex waehrend der Siegerehrung Invictus Games 2023, Rollstuhlbasketball Finale USA – Frankreich, Duesseldorf, Merkur Spiel Arena am 13.09.2023 *** Invictus Games 2023 Wheelchair Basketball 13 09 2023 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex during the award ceremony Invictus Games 2023, Wheelchair Basketball Final USA France, Duesseldorf, Merkur Spiel Arena on 13 09 2023 Copyright:,Image: 805707474, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Wunderl / Avalon
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- Invictus Games 2023 Rollstuhlbasketball 13.09.2023 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex und Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex verfolgen das Finale im Rollstuhlbasketball Invictus Games 2023, Rollstuhlbasketball Finale USA – Frankreich, Duesseldorf, Merkur Spiel Arena am 13.09.2023 *** Invictus Games 2023 wheelchair basketball 13 09 2023 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex watch the final in wheelchair basketball Invictus Games 2023, wheelchair basketball final USA France, Duesseldorf, Merkur Spiel Arena on 13 09 2023 Copyright:,Image: 805707493, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Wunderl / Avalon
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- Meta Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg departs following a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing to examine Big Tech and the online child sexual exploitation crisis, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Copyright:,Image: 842320810, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/CNP / MediaPunch/Avalon/Avalon
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- Meta Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg departs following a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing to examine Big Tech and the online child sexual exploitation crisis, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Copyright:,Image: 842320822, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/CNP / MediaPunch/Avalon/Avalon
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- Dusseldorf, GERMANY – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex during day 4 of Invictus Games 2023 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 13 SEPTEMBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Besides a fan based IG account I no longer open any social media especially facebook and haven’t since covid. I can honestly say life is better without social media. I’m done feeding the beast that will destroy us all.
AGREED 100%
I opened a fan based IG account last year specifically for American Riviera Orchards, but otherwise have no social media apps. Last year? when Harry and Meghan did the World Mental Health Day thing in NYC, I donated to Screen Sanity after finding out about them. Understandably CB only does excerpts, but I would urge everybody to read the entire Sussex.com statement to find out about other orgs operating in this space. Meghan and Harry are pioneers in the mental health/ tech space, at least for naive me, and they’ve done a lot of good research.
Yes the rat penis recipient is MAGA and wants to be loud and proud about it. He is a danger to society and he just doesn’t care.
and Zuckerberg made his MAGA alignment clear with the new policies that seems to encourage racist/hateful/misogynistic language directed at LGTBQIA and women
Let’s not forget that Facebook started as a university ratings system of women students’ looks. Zuckerberg has always been a disgusting misogynist and a bro.
I saw on Reddit that people are posting all kinds of crazy things about Zuckerberg in order to make a point. Stuff like, he died of a massive overdose and he has a weird penis. Doubt it will change his mind but it’s been kind of funny to read.
Yea they’ve been doing that all over social media including AI images of him kissing Elon. Good.
Zuck managed to bring everyone together 😛
Meta should be broken up.
Agree completely.
I listened to some of that nauseating podcast w him and Joe Rogan, and Zuckerberg sounds like the nerd so excited the cool boys are talking to him, and it’s clear that attention works on him. He has no principles and no integrity. He just wants to be popular.
He was upset about how “mean” the Biden administration was to him, but post Cambridge Analytica, he should have expected our government to come down hard on Meta bc that was straight up Russian disinformation that affected our election!
People, you need to listen to these podcasts bros and listen to how unhinged these conversations are on joe Rogan!! They are crazy, conspiracy filled and full of homophobia and misogyny, interspersed w Rogan delivering a sales spiel regarding blood metabolism. I was shocked. If you have anyone in your household listening to them, you’ll see how this podcast is full of ignorance and extremely harmful to the good of anyone who isn’t a straight male
ZUCKERBERG IS TEACHING/HAS TAUGHT US THAT FACEBOOK IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO GET YOUR INFORMATION
SUPPORT YOUR NPR OR LOCAL INDIE NEWS STATIONS
NPR just pubblicly shafted V.Spehar (Under The Desk News) and totally misrepresented what V. said & basically ridiculed UDN.
NPR is not perfect, but I’m going to take them 1000x over Joe Rogan.
I respect your bring up UDN rho. News on social media is rife w misinformation and lack of accountability. UDN may be one of the good guys, and I’ve seen them during the pandemic, but you.are still talking about an information site that is not verified nor fact checked, just like Joe Rogan, who is NOT a journalist but a meathead w a mike. No matter how noble, that ppl are getting information from anyone who can make a post is why we have so much misinformation today,. unfortunately
The Archwell statment was powerful with a clear call to action. Meta’s statement that fact checking has become heavily politized and should be done away with was shameful. It was also a clear indicator that he knew his platform was destabilizing force and would no longer even pretend to stop that. I hope governments continue to sue and ban all his SM platforms and I’m glad organizations like Archewell are calling Meta out.
Well, it has become heavily politicized and there has been quite a bit of government interference behind the scenes for several years, but that doesn’t mean fact-checking should be eliminated. Zuckerberg is just trying to back away from any responsibility for his content (and possibly avoid a million phone calls from Trump complaining about pretty much everything).
If anything should be fact-checked it’s Meta’s touted benevolent mission of bringing people together. Nobody makes giant profits out of giving free services to make the public happy. It’s basically identity theft, only legal.
Most everything I know about FaceBook that’s worth knowing I learned from Tim Wu. And he has regrets.
The so-called “facts” that were being checked were what was politicized, not the fact checks.
It’s not as simple as that, but I really don’t want to get into a political discussion here. I’ll just repeat that I think there should be fact checking. At the same time, I don’t trust Zuckerberg to tell me what’s true or not.
I really enjoy instagram probably because I’ve curated it within an inch of its life and it’s a place for me to share my photography with my family and friends. This change by Meta will have me rethinking any social media presence. Since I’m here, I’ve tried Spoutible but can’t figure out how it works 😒 can anyone recommend a tutorial video?
I would recommend Bluesky. So many people have come over from Twitter, it’s now an excellent source for news and memes. As for an Instagram replacement, Pixelfed looks like a good alternative, although it’s only desktop based at this point. The app is in beta testing. Apparently you can even download all of your Instagram posts in a zip file to be used elsewhere.
I’m on bsky, too, and like it- it is getting bot flooded though. So many rumpers/ magas. Gotta vet everyone who just follows you blindly bc it gets them a dopamine hit.
I’m in a similar position. I only joined FB and started a SM presence because of animal rescue and FB was an absolute game changer for networking in the rescue community, getting volunteers and fosters, and marketing adoptables (it’s as, if not, more effective than Petfinder and Adoptapet). Bluesky mirrors twitter with feeds that aren’t as effective for this purpose and it’s not like I have the skills to create another platform (or money to pay others to do it) that could do what FB currently does and to make it intuitive enough to use for people to switch. If someone did create a new platform for everyone to go to while exiting FB, I would definitely use whatever influence over the orgs I work with to move but, right now it becomes of choice of risking how effectively we can continue our mission if the rescues leave FB.
Same here. I’m a foster with our county shelter specializing in neonate kittens and special needs kittens. The only reason I’m still on FB is because of the several Cat/Kitten Groups I’m in. One is for CH/Neuro and the other for Orphan Kittens and Neonates and a couple more. I successfully adopted special needs kittens out through that group network. They are important to me and if not for those groups I wouldn’t be on FB any longer. I don’t post or respond to anything that comes through my feed outside the group posts. Thankfully unsavory posts are very rare, still I wish there would be an alternate platform that is as efficient as FB for animal rescues.
Harla, Spoutible is a great choice. Christopher Bouzy just increased AI for fact checking. It’s really good. He doesn’t allow bots, hate or harassment, and it’s entirely inclusive.
I suggest you simply spout (post) and tell people that you don’t know how to use the site. You’ll get all kinds of help and support. I know back in the beginning there were people posting different things to help newcomers and I’m sure they still are.
Just make sure that you allow everyone to see your posts to begin with, so that you’ll get all of the help you need.
Thanks! I just sent a spout asking how to find funny memes, inspiring quotes, silly animal videos. I hope someone responds 🙂
I love them for this! Shout it from the rooftops. FB will be Russian state media soon, and I’m getting out while the getting’s good.
I only post on Facebook re my exercise classes only. After I finish each one I post thanking the instructor.
How is the next generation ever going to know the truth.
I have been wondering about this more than more. Anyone here a specialist in childhood brain development? How does a brain that’s not yet developed enough to comprehend of a global society process the mass influx of information/misinformation presented by social media? I mean, how does a child build an understanding of what’s real and what’s not?
In Norway children learn fact checking in school. They have classes teaching how to use Social Media, how to find out if a post is real or AI, and to research facts. Wish we had this worldwide, we need it! They also have classes about bullying, mental health, and happiness.
Is it any wonder they are always in the top 5 of the happiest people, despite the lack of sun and warmth most of the year?
Zuckerberg will be remembered. And not in a good way. He disgusts me.
I’m getting less and less pleasure from the knowledge that history will judge these monsters harshly. I’m just scared.
I hear u. It’s sad to try and take comfort in that when the reality is devastating.
He has fully succeeded in jumping head first into the trash-bin with Xitter/ Eloon.
The fact checking isn’t that great now. It needs strengthening not abandonment. I think what they allow depends on who you are anyway. Sponsored things get away with lies about history and AI generated photos that lie. I have reported several only to be told they don’t violate policy.
They are so brave, having all of the Brit/right wing/sexist/ww hate against them but they still try to push back publicly against the platforms!
And then Zuck went on to complain about the Biden administration, saying they cursed at him. It’s super obvious all these billionaires are playing the MAGA game. It’s disgusting, pathetic, and dangerous.
That letter is a MASTERCLASS of dragging THE ABSOLUTE 🤬 out of fascist Zuckerberg…who isn’t only MEETING the moment while 🇺🇸 slips back to the stagnant horrible McCarthy age in government…that POS along with Musk…ENSURED that moment would happen!
So glad H&M put on public record their utter disgust!
I’ve noticed a big difference in FB (I refuse to call it Meta) since Fuckerberg pulled the plug on fact-checking. I’ve been correcting a lot of stuff and reporting blatantly false, misogynistic and racist crap but all for not. I still use it to keep in touch with faraway friends but that’s about it. Other than that I’m on no other social media, I’m trying my damndest to keep calm and carry on without having to stress myself out about the state of the world — dealing with cancer is quite enough.
AMEN!!! I got an post calling Elon the great benevolent philanthropist..not in this lifetime!
FAKE NEWS!
Zuckerberg stood at Mar-a-Lago, hand over heart (or where the heart is supposed to be), for a rendition of the national anthem sung by Jan. 6 criminals. He has absolutely no moral compass.
Good for the Sussexes for releasing this statement. More people need to stand up for truth.
And if conservatives wonder why truth seems to have a liberal bias, they should ask themselves why. Truth is truth.
Good for them. Everyone should boycott Meta products. Deleting FB and Insta accounts will be the only thing to get through to this oligarch. Blue Sky is great. If you haven’t dumped the sh*t hole that former-Twitter became, what are you waiting for? That outright Nazi, Elon Musk, doesn’t deserve our support either.
Has Facebook ever seriously fact checked? It has always had a bias for the wingnuts, crackpots and obvious scammers. The only fact checking I have observed has been targeted towards liberal leaning posts, many of which were deliberately and obviously satirical. What really concerns me is the number of obviously fake/dublicated accounts and how those will be weaponized. Just about every single older adult I know on Facebook, liberal or magat, have had their accounts duplicated and personal pics used by the fraudulent, duplicate accounts. Facebook refuses to intervene. The misinformation bot army has been created and is ready to spread the manure even thicker.
You should try Spoutible. Christopher Bouzy doesn’t allow hate or harrassment. It’s entirely inclusive and bots aren’t allowed.
One of the things I like is that when you report someone within a very short period of time (hours) that person is gone. If there is any hate speech, etc., you don’t get another chance. You are gone. In other circumstances, you get one shot and if you mess up again–you’re gone.
You don’t have to engage in anything political. There are all kinds of groups for the artistic: photography, painting, authors, music, etc.
There is an antitrust case being brought by the FTC accusing Meta of being a monopoly.
The case is supposed to go to trial in April.
Will it be in a state court or the Supreme Court. Cozying up to maga to get a favorable SC ruling could be another reason. But let’s be real. This guy is maga thru and thru either way.