Online safety regulators in the European Union (EU) will engage with Meta over plans to end the company’s third-party fact checking programme, Coimisiún na Meán said, despite there being no confirmed plans to apply it outside the US.
The decision, which was announced on Monday, will see the company switch to the Community Notes model favoured by rival platform X, which requires users to flag content that they feel is either incorrect or requires additional context.
Meta said it would launch in the US over the next few months, and continue to improve the system over the course of the year, but did not comment specifically on plans for the EU.
Regulations in the EU require platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to take measures to limit the spread of disinformation.
The Irish media regulator said it would engage with Meta on the impact the potential changes could have on EU users.
“Coimisiún na Meán is engaged with Meta as part of our ongoing supervisory process to ensure compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The compliance of online platforms with some elements of the DSA relating to risk assessment and mitigation are within the competency of the European Commission,” a spokesman for the regulator said.
“Coimisiún na Meán will engage with Meta on their decision relating to Community Standards and the impact this might have on EU users. Meta’s statement in relation to its fact-checking programme indicates that it applies only to the United States currently and not to users within the European Union.”
The changes came shortly after conservative Joel Kaplan was named as Meta’s new head of global policy, replacing former UK Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, and the company named three new directors to its board, including Dana White, UFC chief executive and a close friend of US president-elect Donald Trump.
“Meta’s platforms are built to be places where people can express themselves freely,” Mr Kaplan said in a blog post.
“That can be messy. On platforms where billions of people can have a voice, all the good, bad and ugly is on display. But that’s free expression.”
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