Meta Ends Fact-Checking: Fahmi Says Malaysia Unaffected… For Now

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Meta’s recent decision to end independent fact-checking across its platforms will have global consequences, but Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil believes Malaysia won’t feel the effects immediately. “At the moment, I don’t see it affecting the Malaysian market, only the United States,” Fahmi said, commenting on Meta’s decision, which will be rolled out over the next few months.

On 7 January 2025, Meta announced it would end its eight-year-old fact-checking programme, reduce censorship, and promote more political content across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained that the company would replace the fact-checking system with a new Community Notes model, similar to Twitter’s (now X) crowdsourced approach introduced in 2021.

Fahmi noted that the Community Notes model has its pros and cons. “This could be a positive thing, as the public can comment and contribute explanations on content that was uploaded to Facebook, for example, and it would be highlighted instead of being buried in the comments section,” he said during his weekly post-cabinet briefing.

While Malaysia’s government has not been officially contacted by Meta yet, Fahmi confirmed that the ministry will reach out to learn more. “However, the ministry will be contacting Meta to learn more about the issue,” he said.

Meta’s decision came as a surprise, especially for the 10 independent fact-checking partners Meta had worked with in the United States. The programme was introduced in 2016 to curb the spread of misinformation, particularly politically-driven content. It remains unclear whether Meta’s decision will affect similar arrangements in other countries, with numerous fact-checking partners across Europe, Brazil, and India.

In a video posted on 7 January 2025, Zuckerberg attributed the shift to political pressure, particularly following Donald Trump’s election victory. He argued that the new direction would ensure “free expression” on the platform. “This will help ensure that people have the freedom to say what they want, without worrying about their posts being removed or suppressed,” Zuckerberg said.

The fact-checking programme had long been a tool to help combat the spread of hoaxes and conspiracy theories. Meta’s fact-checking partners adhered to standards set by the International Fact-Checking Network, ensuring nonpartisanship and transparency. However, many industry experts are concerned that ending the programme will hinder users’ access to accurate and reliable information.

“Fact-checking journalism has never censored or removed posts; it’s added information and context to controversial claims, and it’s debunked hoax content and conspiracy theories,” said Angie Drobnic Holan, Director of the International Fact-Checking Network.

“It’s unfortunate that this decision comes in the wake of extreme political pressure from a new administration and its supporters. Fact-checkers have not been biased in their work — that attack line comes from those who feel they should be able to exaggerate and lie without rebuttal or contradiction.”