From Fact Checking to Community Notes: What Meta’s New Tool Means for Marketers

Meta recently announced a shift in its approach to content moderation, removing third-party fact checkers to combat what it describes as “censorship” and adopting a system of community notes as its replacement. Meta’s platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and Threads — are preparing for the rollout of this new framework in the coming months. So, how will this affect how misinformation is managed and how marketers can prepare? Let’s dive into what happened and how marketers can navigate this change in platform moderation.

What happened?

On January 7, Meta revealed it would end its use of independent, non-partisan third-party fact checkers, which was originally implemented in 2016 to address viral misinformation. In its place, Meta will implement a community notes system, similar to what X (formerly Twitter) currently uses. This decision aligns with broader trends in the tech industry as companies adapt to shifting political and regulatory climates. Meta’s changes will impact users worldwide, raising questions about whether these updates will help curb misinformation or inadvertently exacerbate it. To understand the potential impact of this change, it’s important to first examine the role these fact checkers previously played and the key factors to know about this change.

What was the role of Meta fact checkers? Fact checkers have historically played an important role in maintaining information integrity on Meta’s platforms. These independent, non-partisan organizations reviewed flagged content to assess its accuracy, applying labels to guide users and limit the spread of false information. This system was particularly vital during sensitive events, such as elections or public health emergencies, when timely and accurate information was needed
What is Meta’s new “Community Notes” feature? Community notes are a crowdsourced tool designed to allow users to add context to content that may be misleading, incomplete, or inaccurate. Rather than leveraging third-party independent fact checkers, community notes rely on the collective contributions of the user base to identify and provide context for potentially misleading content
Are community notes effective? Unlike third-party fact checking, the effectiveness of community notes hinges on active participation from users — whose perspectives may vary widely. There are limited studies on whether this approach is effective, and existing studies offer mixed conclusions. However, misinformation persists on X despite the use of community notes, which raises concerns that Meta’s platforms might face similar challenges. The tool’s long-term success will depend on its ability to manage biases, encourage diverse participation, and consistently deliver accurate information

Will anything change for social advertising or social profiles?

As of now, nothing will directly affect social pages or ad performance. However, as community notes are rolled out in the coming months, marketers should be aware of the potential risks with this change:

Increased risk of misinformation: Without independent oversight, the likelihood of false or harmful content circulating unchecked by the community notes feature grows, posing potential risks to brand safety. Brands may have to mitigate misinformation themselves to reduce risk, especially brands in industries susceptible to misinformation — like healthcare or politics
Changing trust dynamics: Users’ trust in Meta’s platforms may wane, potentially leading to decreased engagement and loyalty over time. This could in turn affect user behavior and key ad performance
Organic content: Brands must remain mindful of how organic content, especially influencer collaborations, might be affected, requiring adjustments in strategy and increased community management efforts
Paid content: As Meta continues to develop their community notes tool, they are currently unsure if community notes will apply to paid advertising. Brands should prepare to possibly adapt their ad strategy based on new information as Meta rolls out the tool
Brand safety: Meta maintains that they are focused on ensuring brand safety and suitability through their robust suite of tools for advertisers. There are no changes to their monetization policies or their inventory filter. Content that violates community standards isn’t eligible for ad adjacency, and there continues to be a category for debated social issues
Community standards: Meta has noted that they continue to have community standards, which outline what is and isn’t allowed on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, using automated systems to enforce these policies around the world 24/7. They will also continue to prohibit a wide range of attacks based on protected characteristics, including dehumanizing speech, harmful stereotypes, slurs, various types of insults, and calls for exclusion

How brands can prepare

To navigate these changes, marketers should focus on the following strategies to stay ahead of the curve and ensure platform updates do not negatively impact their brand:

Stay informed: Keep a pulse on the latest updates and evolving guidelines
Implement brand-safety controls: Utilize category exclusions and keyword blocking, mute or restrict comments, and implement placement restrictions to minimize exposure to harmful content
Community management: Actively monitor social channels for misinformation or inaccuracies about your brand, products, or services. Consider enlisting the help of social community monitoring tools to help with efficiency
Diversify media mix: Consider balancing ad spend across multiple platforms if this affects your brand significantly

Meta’s decision to replace fact checkers with community notes represents a shift in content moderation strategy with a range of potential implications for marketers and users. As this new tool unfolds, it will be crucial for marketers to stay informed about the changes and be proactive in adapting strategies to ensure brand safety. By staying informed and proactive, marketers can navigate this evolving landscape and maintain strong connections with their audiences. Continuously monitoring the effectiveness of these new tools and being ready to pivot strategies and navigate evolving user behaviors will be key to succeeding in this new environment.