Biden Blasts "Shameful" Meta Decision To Scrap U.S. Fact-Checking

U.S. President Joe Biden criticized Meta for discontinuing third-party fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in the United States, calling the move "really shameful."

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) warned of dire consequences if Meta extends the policy globally, affecting programs in over 100 countries. I Photo: President Joe Biden Facebook

The announcement has sparked concern among global organizations about potential real-world harm if the decision is expanded to other countries, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday that the company would end third-party fact-checking in the U.S., replacing it with "Community Notes," a crowdsourced model popularized by X.

The shift is widely perceived as an effort to appease President-elect Donald Trump, whose conservative base has often criticized fact-checking as a tool to suppress free speech and censor right-wing content.

Zuckerberg dismissed claims that the policy change was tied to Trump’s election, though critics argue otherwise. Salon’s Griffin Eckstein noted that the timing aligns with Trump’s return to political power.

"I think it's really shameful," Biden told reporters at the White House. "Telling the truth matters," he added, calling Meta’s decision "completely contrary to everything America's about."

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) warned of dire consequences if Meta extends the policy globally, affecting programs in over 100 countries.

"Some of these countries are highly vulnerable to misinformation that spurs political instability, election interference, mob violence, and even genocide," the IFCN stated in an open letter to Zuckerberg.

"If Meta decides to stop the program worldwide, it is almost certain to result in real-world harm in many places," it concluded. Raquel Coronell Uribe also reported for NBC News.