A Farewell to Fact-Checking on Social Media

As tech billionaires gain political influence, changes to fact-checking mechanisms on social media platforms cause concern.

Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

With President Trump now in office, citizens of the United States are left wondering how free speech will be affected.

On January 7th, Mark Zuckerberg announced that fact-checking functions on Meta platforms would be removed. Meta’s holdings include Facebook and Instagram, which both have more than 2 billion users. A significant change to Meta platforms consists of the removal of fact-checking. Fact-checking will be replaced with “community notes,” like on Elon Musk’s X. X, previously known as Twitter, has a system where: “Contributors can leave notes on any post, and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a post.”

After acquiring X, Musk reinstated President Trump’s previously suspended account that featured infamous Tweets like “It's freezing and snowing in New York--we need global warming!” and “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!” Now that President Trump’s X account is back, it remains to be seen whether or not he will use it now that he is back in office or exclusively favor his platform, Truth Social.

Some may question Meta’s sudden change in policy. However, Zuckerberg has a long history of not curbing speech, even when it led to an insurrection on January 6, 2021: “The company’s internal research over several years had identified ways to diminish the spread of political polarization, conspiracy theories and incitements to violence but that in many instances, executives had declined to implement those steps.” Zuckerburg’s statements align with Facebook’s planned $1 million donation to Trump’s 2024 inaugural fund, which could explain the shift away from media censorship. Trump commonly advocates for less restriction of free speech on social media, allowing him to voice opinions that may be considered controversial. Other companies like Amazon and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also donated.

A more shocking turn of events occurred the night of Jan. 18, 2025, when U.S. users received a message on their feed stating that “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

This announcement was followed by: "We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” There is no precedent for a social media platform endorsing or thanking a politician in this way. Although President Trump tried to ban TikTok himself in the final weeks of his first term, this issue came under discussion this month with Trump’s warning on Aug. 6, 2020, that TikTok should be acquired by a US company, citing ByteDance’s ties to the Communist Chinese government. However, opponents argue that restricting people’s use of specific applications violates the Due Process Clause of the 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution and is politically charged manipulation to influence the sale of an independent company.

Some argue that TikTok has showcased content from Gaza after the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and platformed the Black Lives Matter movement and other political campaigns more than any other social media due to specific algorithm coding. After the ban was lifted on January 19, 2025, many U.S. users claim that the app feels different. Users report no content featuring the People’s March in protest of Trump’s itinerary taking place in D.C. over inauguration weekend and Live videos. TikTok could be implementing algorithmic changes due to the current censorship of certain searches like “Trump Election Fraud.” Users accessing the app in the US cannot see any results, unlike other countries or VPN users. In order to circumvent this, some users are beginning to misspell hashtags or use the term “winter boots” to post content that flies under the censorship radar and spreads information about immigration, tips on getting a passport, etc.

52% of US adults who use TikTok use it as a news source, including 45% of young adults ages 18 to 29, which covers the exact age of Georgetown University’s student body. Georgetown University organizations like the New Student Organization (NSO) and Georgetown Recreation use this platform to share information and engage with the student body, testifying to the many student GU users are on the app. Although not all GU students use TikTok as their primary news source, many students are on the app and would be affected by the censorship present when trying to gain information directly related to potentially fact-checked content.

After Trump’s 90-day executive order to prevent the TikTok ban from going into effect, we may regain full access to TikTok, or it will be banned or sold to a U.S. beneficiary aiding in homogenization of American media. X and META are investing in Trump’s campaigns, and the Republican party is nominating underqualified individuals to office.

However, the US is not the only country that is considering implementing stricter measures. On May 15, 2024, the EU Commission opened formal proceedings against Meta under the Digital Services Act in response to the change to their fact-checking structure: “The Commission is concerned that the systems of Facebook and Instagram, including their algorithms, may stimulate behavioral addictions in children, as well as create so-called 'rabbit-hole effects.'”

The EU is primarily concerned with how the change affects minors, which mirrors a possible universal shift favoring more internet protection and regulation. Social media allows unregulated speech, which does not benefit those in charge. Unregulated speech can affect other age groups, not just minors. Without fact-checking and strict opposition to harmful rhetoric, minority groups can be stigmatized and criticized. The U.S. is headed toward an unpredictable era where young men are radicalized through podcasts such as Joe Rogan’s, and more women are dying after the loss of reproductive rights. Online communities can act as echo chambers and disconnect users from outside opinions.